


Worm: Artifice

by NathanAllenBaker



Series: Artifice AU [2]
Category: Evil (TV 2019), Fargo (TV), Hannibal (TV), NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, Parahumans Series - Wildbow, Silicon Valley (TV), Veep (TV), White Collar
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Ashley Stillons, Bisexual Kayden Anders, Bisexual Lisa Wilbourn, Bisexual Max Anders, Bisexual Victoria Dallon, Carol Dallon is Awful, F/F, F/M, Female Danny Hebert, Female Number Man, Female Theo Anders, Lesbian Taylor Hebert, M/M, Still A Veep Crossover, Updates Monday Wednesday Friday
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:13:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 99
Words: 96,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22958494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NathanAllenBaker/pseuds/NathanAllenBaker
Summary: The Tinker Artificer moved to Brockton Bay in 2005, serving as a member of the PRT.In 2011, she is requested to investigate the circumstances of one Taylor Hebert's hospitalization. The world is never the same afterward.
Relationships: Accord (Parahumans) & Original Female Characters, Amanda/Lily (Thoroughbreds), Amy Dallon | Panacea | Red Queen/Rune (Parahumans), Annette Hebert/Dani Hebert, Citrine/Herberta Baker | Artificer (Past), Elle | Labyrinth/Emily | Spitfire, Herberta Baker | Artificer (OC)/Dani Hebert, Jared Dunn/Richard Hendricks, Kayden Anders | Purity/Hannah | Hana | Miss Militia, Taylor Hebert | Skitter | Weaver/Lisa Wilbourn | Tattletale, Victoria Dallon | Glory Girl | Antares/Dean Stansfield | Gallant, Victoria Dallon | Glory Girl | Antares/Original Ashley Stillons | Damsel of Distress
Series: Artifice AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790326
Comments: 165
Kudos: 145





	1. Investigation 1.1

**Author's Note:**

> Herbie's powers are a Thinker ability that lets her understand how parahuman abilities work, and she is a Free Tinker with the condition that everything she builds mimics something else in design or function. Her power suit uses electroconstrictive fibers as muscles and layers of foil that mimics human skin. Her blasts are based on Legends powers. Additionally, she has the quirk of her Tinkertech tending to be similar to the tech of Tinkers she's in frequent contact with. For instance, If she were a member of the S9, her armor would be biological in nature, like the Venom symbiote. Because she's around Armsmaster, her armor is vaguely nano-tech.

**_Herberta_** Saturday, January 8, 2011

Herberta Baker awoke to the sound of knocking at her apartment door. She groaned and stumbled out of bed and picked her way through the mess of metalworking equipment, circuit-building equipment and drafting tools that covered her tiny apartment. When she arrived at her door, she pulled a silenced pistol from the recess next to her door and looked through the peephole.

A teenage girl, wearing a lavender business suit, stood in front of the door. The girl was tall and skinny, with shoulder-length blonde hair and green eyes, with a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She was smiling brightly and held a cup of coffee up to the peephole. Herberta sighed and unlocked her door.

* * *

Herberta sat down across from the teenager at her kitchen table and sighed into the coffee cup.

“Lisa, it’s three in the goddamn morning. I know you’re a jackass, but still, why?” She asked, yawning as she did.

Lisa was an operative of the Parahuman Response Team alongside Herberta, and had been Herberta’s assistant since she’d been recruited during a raid on the supervillain Coil. Herberta thought the girl was an arrogant little shit, but also saw signs of a sensitive young woman beneath the exterior. Such as now, as Lisa described the reason she was there.

“I was just at Brockton Memorial. This girl, Taylor Hebert, got trapped in her locker at Winslow High with a bunch of used femenine products. She was in there for hours. I… I could literally feel everything.” She paused and buried her head in her hands. Lisa’s powers allowed her to collect information from the slightest details, which led to her finding out far more than she wanted to know more often than not. Herberta inched around in the booth surrounding her kitchen table and began rubbing circles on the girl’s back.

“It’s okay, Lisa. That can’t have been easy to look at. But why were you there?” Herberta asked.

The girl mentioned Sophia Hess when she woke up. The doctor filed a police report, so Dragon’s algorithm picked it up. They sent me to look into it. When I got there, her mom was freaking out. I told her I was a friend from school. I talked to her mom. Whatever happened, Taylor was keeping it from her mom.” Lisa sniffled. “I’m worried about this girl. What if she hurts herself?”

Herberta sighed. Based on the little Lisa had revealed about her past, Herberta knew that she was really hit hard by any sign of people thinking about or attempting suicide. Herberta figured it had something to do with her trigger event, but had refrained from asking. It wasn’t her story to tell.

“Alright. So we’ve been asked to investigate this, and determine Shadow Stalker’s involvement, if any. How should I present myself to the Heberts? You’re ostensibly her friend from school, and I think that it might be a good idea for you to enroll there, to keep an eye on her and get a feel for what’s going on. Think you can play a lovesick girl with a crush?”

“Why?”

“Because you being a secret admirer is the best explanation for why Taylor hasn’t seen you, but why you know of her.” Herberta explained.

“Sounds like a plan. You can be my mom, who’s also the police detective investigating this, that’s how I found out.” Lisa suggested. “Because I’m a nosy busybody.”

“Great. I’ll go get dressed and we’ll head to the hospital.”

* * *

As Herberta made her way through the halls of Brockton General, she wondered what Taylor’s mom must be thinking. _God, if she were my kid, if this were Lisa…_ she thought. She arrived at Taylor’s room and knocked politely at the door, Lisa beside her. The door opened and Herberta was met by a woman in her thirties. She was thin and slender, with curly dark hair cut short. She had wide green eyes, made larger by the glasses she wore, giving her a somewhat bewildered expression. She wore a white button-down under a sweater vest and a pair of corduroy slacks with flats and had a solemn expression on her face. She held out her hand to Herberta.

“I’m Danica, but everyone usually calls me Dani.” She offered as Herberta shook her hand. 

“I’m Herberta, but usually go by Herbie.” She explained. She had chosen a frumpy sweater and a pair of suit pants along with ankle boots as her attire. She hoped it made her look like a police detective/single mom. She’d left her gun at home, as she probably wouldn’t need it.

“So what brings you here? Taylor never mentioned a friend named Lisa, or her mom.” Dani asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

“I’ve only heard about Taylor from Lisa. She’s really rather enamoured, but painfully shy. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Taylor had no idea who she is. Incidentally, I’m also the detective in charge of figuring out what the hell happened here. So I’m wondering if Taylor ever seemed off to you these past few months. Whatever went on, I’m guessing you had no idea. Is it just you and her, or is…” She trailed off, seeing anguish on Dani’s face.

“Taylor’s mom, my partner Annette,” she said, “died two years ago. Car accident.” she explained. “It’s been really hard on the both of us. I threw myself into my work, and… I haven’t been the best parent these past few years.” She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “I’m sorry, I’m a mess. I don’t suppose we could do this tomorrow, when I’m not in the middle of a nervous breakdown.” She smiled weakly. Herberta smiled thinly and pulled out a business card that bore her name and work cell number. She handed it to Dani.

“Here. Whenever you feel up to it, call me and we can meet and talk about this.” She smiled warmly and walked off. She waited for Lisa to finish up talking to Taylor, and the pair walked out of the hospital.

* * *

Back at Herberta’s apartment, she grabbed a spare legal pad and a pen and sat down on the couch, kicking her boots off as she did.

“So what did you glean from talking to Taylor?” Herberta asked Lisa, her pen at the ready. 

“She’s been bullied for the past year and a half. I think Sophia was involved. The bruises and other injuries on her chart bear that out. She’s depressed and miserable.” Lisa explained.

“I figured she would be.” Herberta muttered.

“Also, I think she may have triggered.” Lisa said hesitantly. Herberta groaned, realizing the size of the potential shitstorm she was facing. A new trigger, who had possibly been bullied by a member of the Wards? Herberta had seen people become villains for worse reasons.

“So you’re telling me that we have a newly-triggered cape with a very good reason to have a grudge against the Protectorate and the PRT?” She asked, making sure she had heard correctly.

“Yeah.”

“Oh fuck my life with a red, glistening dog dick.”


	2. Investigation 1.2

**_Herberta_** Saturday, January 8, 2011

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!” 

Herberta paced back and forth through her tiny apartment, Lisa giving her a quizzical look. 

“Why are you acting like we just released an S-Class threat? It’s just a new trigger, what’s the worst that could happen?” She asked. She was in sweatpants and a t-shirt that said “My other ride is your face.” across her chest. 

“She might be!” Herberta shouted, “We don’t know what her powers are. But she has a reason to be pissed at us! And forget getting her into the Wards. If she realizes Shadow Stalker’s her tormentor, she will quit on the spot!”

“So why don’t we tell her and ask her for help. We should also figure out how Shadow Stalker managed to get away with this for a year and a half.”

Let me talk to the director, and maybe we could do that.” Herberta responded, pulling a cell phone from her pocket and calling

“Hello? Baker here. Can I speak with Director Piggot?”

_“Please hold.”_ After a short pause, the scratchy voice of PRT Director Emily Piggot came over the line.

_“Baker, why are you calling me at six in the morning?”_

“Because I just came from Brockton General, where I met with what Lisa thinks is freshly triggered young girl who reported that Sophia Hess put her there.”

_“Why was she there?”_

“She had been stuck in a locker full of used tampons for nearly six hours.” Herberta swore she could hear the stunned silence over the phone.

_“Well, that is troubling,”_ Piggot said slowly. _“What do you want to do?”_

“I want to have her sign a Vikare NDA, then admit Hess is a Ward, possibly grovel a little, and then ask for her help in prosecuting her. If she has, in fact, triggered, I’d like to invite her to join the Wards.”

_“So you hope your willingness to work with her will convince her we can be trusted after not being there for her?”_

“Pretty much. Do I have your authorization?”

_“Yes. If this is true, I want Shadow Stalker nailed to the wall. Behavior like this is intolerable.”_

“Well, Lisa thinks it may have been ongoing, possibly for nearly a year and a half.” Herberta held her phone away from her ear as she listened to Piggot swear loudly and colorfully for nearly a full minute.

_“How the FUCK did this happen? If a PRT employee is involved, I will kill them.”_

“I don’t know that Shadow Stalker’s handler is involved. I think the school was covering it up, which made it easy for her to hide it from her handler. I’ll look into it, but I’m willing to bet that Shadow Stalker’s handler won’t know anything about this. Never underestimate the ability of a teeneger to conceal things from an authority figure. Working with Lisa has shown me that.”

_“Agreed. Find out what happened. We can’t ever let someone do anything like this again.”_ Piggot hung up. Herberta turned to Lisa.

“We’re going back to the hospital.”

**_Taylor_ **

Taylor woke up to her mom looking at her nervously.

“Hey mom, what’s going on?” she asked.

“Sweetie, these people from the PRT want to talk to you about the locker.” Her mother gave a betrayed look to the older of the two women. The woman wore a worn sweater and had frizzy brown hair and kind brown eyes. The younger of the two looked a little older than her and was blonde, with freckles dusting her nose, and had clever green eyes. She wore a t-shirt that said “My other ride is your face.” across her chest, which made Taylor feel a little happy inside. Taylor recognized her as the girl who’d shown up earlier and said she was from school. She’d said her name was Lisa, though Taylor didn’t ever remember seeing her around Winslow. The older woman spoke first.

“Hi Taylor. I’m Herberta, but you can call me Herbie. I work for the PRT. Now we need to do a couple of things before we can explain why we’re here. First, are you absolutely certain that Sophia Hess did this to you?”

Taylor wanted to scream. Of course they didn’t believe her, even if she wasn’t sure why they were here. “Yes, I’m sure.” She said firmly, glaring at Herberta as she did.

“All right then. Now if you could please sign this, I can explain why I wanted to make sure.” Herberta placed a sheaf of papers on the folding desk in front of her. Taylor looked it over. It was some sort of non-disclosure agreement. “I assure you, if you sign this, I will do my best to get justice for you. If you don’t, I’ll still try but I won’t be able to do as much.” Herberta said. Taylor quickly signed the document and then crossed her arms. 

“Let me guess,” she said bitterly, “You’re not from the PRT and I just got played.” Herberta looked at her sadly, like she felt terrible that everyone in the room had to be here at all.

“No, I am a member of the PRT. I showed your mother my badge, but I’ll show you if you want.” Taylor shook her head and Herberta continued.

“Now, I believe you, mainly because Lisa here,” She gestured to Lisa, who gave Taylor an apologetic smile, “Used her abilities to corroborate some of what you said to the doctors. Now, there are a few complications in getting justice, which is why I’m here. See, the reason you had to sign that NDA is because Sophia Hess is the civilian identity of the cape Shadow Stalker. Who works with the PRT.”

Taylor felt a rushing in her ears as a haze of red obscured her vision. Of course Sophia was a Ward. That’s why the school never listened to her. She suddenly noticed a buzzing noise and realized she was surrounded by a swarm of flies. “D-d-did I d-d-do that?” She stuttered out, terror coursing through her veins. _Oh god,_ she thought, _I’m a parahuman. They think I’m going to become a villain._ She felt her cheeks dampen as she began to cry.

Her mom rushed over to hug her, rubbing circles on her back as all the emotions she had been feeling for the past year and a half came pouring out. As she did, she saw Lisa staring at her from the corner of her eye. The blonde girl looked like she also wanted to cry. When she had finished sobbing, Herberta took a deep breath and continued.

“Now, Shadow Stalker is in the Wards as part of the terms of her probation from an incident in her solo career.” Herberta explained. “So, if we can prove what she did to you, it would certainly violate her parole, especially if she used her powers while doing so.” She paused. “But first, I think we should talk about the elephant in the room. You’ve had what’s known as a “trigger event”, where you were under so much stress, your innate abilities were activated. I’m gonna guess that it happened while you were in the locker. If you don’t want to do anything with these powers, I completely understand. If you do want to use these powers, you have a lot of options. As I am a member of the PRT, I am required to extend an invitation to the Wards, but I understand if you refuse.” She paused, as if considering something. “If it helps,” She finally said, “I am technically still a Protectorate member and I’d be willing to go back on duty if it made you feel better about joining.” 

Taylor was torn. On one hand, this was a dream come true. She had powers! But she now knew that a hero had bullied and tormented her to the breaking point. Maybe it would be better for her to just not do anything with her power. Honestly, what could she actually do? She hadn’t even been able to stand up to the Trio, what hope would she have against actual villains? _No,_ she thought, _I’m going to become the best hero I can be, just so I can prove those bitches wrong._ She looked Herberta in the eye and said,

“I’d like to be a Ward.” Herberta smiled warmly and held out her hand. Taylor shook it. Herberta turned to her mom.

“Do you have any questions about the Wards, Miss Hebert?” she asked. “I think I have a pamphlet in my car if you’d be interested.” Taylor saw Lisa roll her eyes at this.

Her mom cleared her throat and said, angrily, “What I want to know is how you’re only talking to us now, instead of when Taylor went to her teachers about this?” Taylor saw Herberta give her mom a shame-faced look before continuing.

“I know there’s no excuse for our inaction, although I do have a theory. Taylor, did you ever make an official complaint about Sophia’s behavior, something that would be on record with the school district?”

“I don’t think so, why?”

“Well, there is a system that monitors official records and alerts the PRT whenever a local cape’s civilian identity is mentioned. The reason we knew about you is because one of the doctors filed a police report mentioning Sophia. If you never filed a complaint, the system would never have picked it up. Which is also how I think Sophia kept her PRT handler in the dark. If you had filled out any sort of complaint, the school district would have sent a copy to her handler as part of her probation. If the handler never got anything, Sophia could easily have kept them in the dark.”

“So you aren’t going to cover this up?” Taylor asked, surprised.

“No. We will invent some explanation for why Shadow Stalker is gone, but Sophia Hess is going down. I don’t suppose you have some sort of record of what happened?”

Taylor smiled brightly.

“Actually…”

**_Herberta_ **

After Taylor explained that she had meticulously noted every incident of bullying for the past year, Dani had agreed to make copies of the notebooks and bring them to the hospital room. Lisa agreed to watch Taylor in the meantime, giving Dani a chance to change and get some toiletries. Before she went down to her car, Dani pulled Herberta aside.

“I’m sorry for being a bitch to you for lying. I should have waited before judging you.” She said, looking through her purse for her keys. “I have a bit of a temper, and sometimes it gets away from me.” 

“It’s okay. You’re hardly the first person to get pissed at me for hiding my PRT affiliation. I have several ex-girlfriends who would happily testify to that.” Herberta blushed as she said this.

Dani chuckled.

“Well, I’m hardly one to throw stones when it comes to pissing off ex-girlfriends. Though in my case, it was my compulsive workaholism.” She tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear. 

“It’d be nice if you called me sometime.” Herberta said, smiling warmly.

“I just might.” Dani responded as she found her keys. She waved them and turned to head for the elevator.

Herberta turned and headed back into the hospital room. She sat down in a chair beside Taylor’s hospital bed and took out her phone.

“Now, start from the beginning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please subscribe and comment.


	3. Investigation 1.3

**_Taylor_** Saturday, January 15, 2011

Taylor sat in her hospital bed, eating a cup of Jell-O as she talked to Herbie and Lisa. The two parahumans had been visiting her every day for the past week, Herbie to collect her account of Sophia’s misdeeds, Lisa to keep her company while her mom was at work. Lisa had proven to be interesting to talk to. Apparently, her power let her find large amounts of information from the tiniest of details. Her first day at the hospital, she had solved a rash of thefts from the hospital’s painkiller supply and over the past few days, had helped Taylor figure out her power: she could control insects with her mind. Taylor had been grossed out by this at first, but after Lisa had pointed out this included things like butterflies and ladybugs, she had come around.

“So now that the doctors have confirmed every physical injury you suffered, we can move on to the psychological harm she’s inflicted. A Mr. Gladly came forward and offered to testify about the school’s policies regarding Sophia’s behavior.” Herbie reported. She was wearing a suit and tie, as she was due for a meeting at the PRT later. With that, Herbie got up to head for the PRT headquarters, leaving Taylor alone with Lisa. Lisa, who had been reading a newspaper while Herbie and Taylor talked, looked up and asked, “How long ‘till your mom gets here? While I do enjoy your company, I also do have a job and a life.” Taylor stuck out her tongue before responding.

“She’s coming at four.” Taylor paused, wondering whether she should do this. If she was wrong, she ran the risk of ruining the first friendship she’d had in years. But if she was right…

“Lisa… are you attracted to me?” 

Lisa’s head jerked up as she stared at Taylor with wide eyes. “Why would you think that?” the blonde asked hesitantly. 

Taylor had known she was gay for years, having nursed a crush on Emma since seventh grade. Her moms were gay, so she hadn’t thought it was a big deal, but she’d never really told anyone, since her mom was getting over her mother’s death and she didn’t have any friends to talk to about it. But ever since she’d met Lisa, she’d felt more free and alive than ever. She’d felt like taking a chance.

“Because your ability had to have picked up that I’m gay,” she responded, “and I’m fairly sure you’ve been flirting with me.” Lisa smiled sadly.

“I have been, haven’t I?” she said, chuckling. “I guess I’m not your type, huh?”

Taylor had initially thought so, but after a couple hours, she’d realized that behind the mean girl facade was a sweet and sensitive girl, one who knew exactly when to give Taylor her space and when to ask her what was wrong. Lisa had stayed in her room the entire week and, as Taylor talked about all the shit she’d been through, Lisa had shared her own past. She’d learned that Lisa had a brother who had killed himself and that it had caused her to trigger. Her parents had tried to take advantage of her powers, so Lisa had run away. She’d been captured by Coil, who had tried to get her hooked on drugs(in order to control her) before Herbie had rescued her. Herbie had been through every step of her recovery, and that Lisa felt like Herbie was more of a mother to her than her actual mother had been. Over the past week, Lisa had revealed herself to be a similarly lonely girl to Taylor, and Taylor had to admit, she was kind of smitten. Lisa had been funny, cracking jokes and telling funny stories about her job at the PRT. And she was pretty in that Elle Woods smart-but-glamourous kind of way.

“I wouldn’t say that,” she said, “I just don’t know if it’s a good idea to start dating a girl I met a week ago. That might be moving a bit faster than I’m comfortable with.” she admitted.

“Well, if you want, we could take it slow. I really wouldn’t mind. My powers give me some… intimacy issues.” Lisa said bashfully.

“What do you mean?” Taylor asked, hoping she wasn’t prying.

“I sometimes get information overload during sex. I can learn extraordinary amounts of data from just the slightest sensation, and sex involves a lot of sensations. It can get a bit much, and sometimes… I don’t always like what I see.” Lisa sighed sadly.

“That must suck.” Taylor said. She had some interest in sex, having looked at a couple of adult sites before, but didn’t get the rush.

“It’s fine. If I overuse my power and take an aspirin beforehand, I’m fine.” Lisa said.

“But you’re interested in me, why?” Taylor asked, curious.

“I guess it’s because you were treated horribly by so many people, but you haven’t held a grudge. You just dealt with it. And you didn’t judge me for my choices. You just listened. And you deserve to be happy. Plus, you’re pretty cute.” Lisa gave Taylor a flirtatious smirk after saying this.

“Well then, Lisa, would you like to see where this goes?” she asked.

“I’d love to.” With that, Lisa walked over and gave Taylor a light kiss on her forehead.

**_Herberta_ **

Herberta knocked on the door of Karen Deaver, the woman in charge of ensuring Shadow Stalker followed the terms of her probation. After a moment, the door opened and a woman with mousy red hair and gray eyes looked at her. 

“Hello, Agent Baker. What brings you here?” she asked nervously, gesturing for Herberta to come inside. Herberta sat down on the sofa as Deaver took a seat in a plush armchair.

“I just have a couple of questions about how you monitor Shadow Stalker.” Herberta explained.

“What do you want to know?”

“How much communication do you have with Winslow High?” Herberta asked, activating the Tinkertech in her glasses, a system of sensors and scanners paired with an algorithm that allowed her to mimic Lisa’s powers. Deaver scowled and the heads-up display began scrolling text.

_Annoyed at the situation, not the question or the fact that I’m asking. Thinks it’s because she complained about her difficulty at work._

“None, besides getting a copy of her report card. I can’t even go to parent-teacher conferences, as I am not her ‘parent or legal guardian’. I put in a request for the PRT to fix that, but I’m guessing that, compared to all the other stuff the PRT has to do, it was knocked right down to the bottom.”

_Not angry at the PRT for not following up on her request. Resents the Winslow administration for shutting her out. Thinks Winslow is covering up an incident, possibly a fight with a gang member._

“So, you never received any complaints about Shadow Stalker from Winslow?”

“No.”

_Not lying, worried she enabled Shadow Stalker._

“If possible, I’d like to have your computer examined to see if someone tampered with it, not you, but just to make sure.” Deaver nodded.

“Gladly. I’ll bring it by this evening.” Herberta got up and headed towards the door.

“Thank you for everything, Miss Deaver.”


	4. Investigation 1.4

**_Herberta_** Sunday, January 16, 2011

Herberta stood in the parking lot of Winslow High with Robin Swoyer, otherwise known as the cape Velocity beside her. Robin wore a suit that was made of what appeared to be gray leather, with a leather harness holding a metal disk over his chest, and wore a pair of goggles on his forehead. She turned to him.

“You remember the plan, right?” She asked him.

“Yes, alright!” Robin shouted. “I have done this before.” he muttered irritably.

“Alright, then. When I give the signal, you do your thing.” Robin nodded and started jogging in place and warming up. Herberta strode off toward the school’s front entrance.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Herberta was in the principal's office, listening to the short, grey-haired woman babble on about how she had never had any complaints regarding Sophia Hess.

“...I don’t know where you got your information, but there have never been any problems with Sophia...” The principal continued. Herberta sighed mentally and hit a button on a metal wristband. A moment later, the world shifted as everything began to slow to a crawl. Robin appeared in a blur of motion. Herberta waved to him. 

“It worked.” Robin remarked, impressed. Herberta had developed tech that boosted other parahuman abilities, as well as a bracelet that mimicked Robin’s superspeed state by vibrating her body at extraordinary speed. Robin was wearing the booster, which pulsed with pale light. 

“Yep. Let’s get to work. I don’t know how long it’ll last.” Herberta replied. She pulled a pair of crime scene gloves out of one pocket and pulled them on. She strode around the desk and began looking through the principal’s computer, as Robin jimmied open the file cabinets and looked through the files at superspeed, his actions a blur of motion. He paused, turning to smile at Herberta. 

“Bingo!” He exclaimed, waving a file folder around. “I found Hebert’s file. It lists her complaints about Shadow Stalker.” Herberta smiled as she found a memo on the principal’s computer directing the faculty to ignore complaints against Shadow Stalker, for the good of the school. She printed it and handed it to Robin. 

“We’ve got them.” She said, smiling.

She put everything back in its place and wadded up her used gloves, stuffing them in a coat pocket. She sat down just as Robin closed the file cabinets and left. She pressed the button on her wristband and everything returned to normal speed.

“...and I cannot believe you would listen to such baseless accusations. Where did you even hear such a thing?”

Herberta sighed and reached to her waist to grab a pair of handcuffs. She stood up, jangling the cuffs as she did. The principal blanched.

“What’s going on?” she asked nervously.

“Ma’am, you’re under arrest. You have the right to an attorney and if you don’t have one, one will be provided. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law.” Herberta cuffed her arms behind her back and led her out the front door of the school to a group of waiting squad cars. Standing with a group of uniformed officers was a man in a suit with an open-collared purple button-down.

“Thanks for coming, Larry.” The man, who had short and curly black hair and piercing grey eyes, smiled and nodded as two officers led the principal to a squad car.

“We’ll take it from here, Herbie. I’ll give your contact info to the DA so you can coordinate.”

Herberta turned to head for her car, dropping her wadded-up gloves in a nearby trash can.

“Thanks Larry.”

**_Taylor_** Thursday, January 20, 2011

Taylor sat in the PRT lobby with her mom and Lisa. It had been a few days since she’d been released from the hospital, and she’d never felt happier. She wasn’t getting bullied and she had a girlfriend! She looked at the table of magazines and saw a newspaper. She picked it up and noticed a small article:

**Principal Arrested in Cover-Up Scheme**

Winslow- Principal Alice Blackwell of Winslow High School was arrested Sunday for what police documents say is a “... consistent effort to cover-up the bullying of a student for over a year.” Detective Larry Lance, who was on the scene, said in a statement to reporters, “This represents a breach of trust by an educator. Whoever has aided in this travesty will be found, and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Information about the situation is scarce, as most of the involved parties are minors. -Kendra Sullivan

Taylor smiled as she read. Finally, things were going her way. According to Herberta, the PRT would be taking Shadow Stalker into custody as soon as she reported for patrol duty that evening. Currently, they were waiting for Taylor’s appointment to be admitted to the Wards. Apparently, there was a lot of paperwork to do before she could go out on patrol. Lisa had agreed to join the Wards as well. She sat in a chair beside Taylor, filling out the smaller amount of forms she needed to join. Her mom was reading a packet Herberta had given her about being the parent of a Ward. Taylor was shaken from her thoughts by her name being called. 

“Taylor Herbert, we’re ready for your intake exams. Please come to the front desk.”

Taylor got up and walked over to the front desk. The receptionist, a pretty brunette whose name tag said ‘Marin’ gestured to a nearby door and wished her luck. Taylor thanked her awkwardly and made her way to the door. She turned and looked over at her mom and Lisa. Lisa smiled and gave her a thumbs up. Her mom mouthed ‘You’ve got this’ to her. Taylor smiled and turned to open the door.

Taylor stepped into a hall where one of several doors was open. Taylor peered inside and saw what appeared to be a regular doctor’s office, just like the one she had gone to every year for her check-up. She saw a folded gown on the exam table, so she stripped down and put on the gown. Sitting on the exam table, she wondered what tests they’d do. She looked up when a young woman in a lab coat came in.

“Hi, I’m Terry. I will be taking some blood and tissue samples as well as getting a medical and psychological history. So why don’t we get started, I’m sure you’re anxious to get through this.”

* * *

After having all of the necessary samples taken, as well as spending several hours answering questions about both her physical and mental health, Taylor was led by Terry to another room. The room had a table and two chairs opposite one another. Sitting in one of the chairs was a vaguely Middle-Eastern woman in a suit. The woman waved at Taylor and smiled warmly.

“Hi, I’m Hannah.” she said and gestured to the empty chair. “Sit. I’ll help you fill out these papers and then I’ll take you back to your mom.” Taylor came over and sat down across from Hannah. She then noticed that the woman was holding a butterfly knife in one hand. Realization dawned on Taylor as she realized who she was sitting across from.

“You’re Miss Militia, aren’t you?” she guessed.

Hannah tapped her nose. “Bingo.” She said, smiling. “Now let’s get started, we have a lot of papers to get through. And if we get done quickly, I’ll tell you some stories.”

**_Herberta_ **

Herberta was anxious. It was almost time for Shadow Stalker to arrive for her patrol shift, and not everything was ready. Calvert, the Deputy Director, had dragged his feet on the equipment because he was opposed to confronting Shadow Stalker in the lobby. As she stood in the Wards concourse of the PRT headquarters building, she took a deep breath and steadied herself. _You’ve got this,_ she thought. She was snapped out of her thoughts by a cool female voice in her earpiece. 

-Shadow Stalker is coming up the steps, and will be entering the building momentarily- 

“Thank you, Dragon.” She said, drawing her pistol and affixing the housing for her armor to her vest.

At that moment, Shadow Stalker entered. She wore her official Wards suit, which consisted of a medium-grey kevlar bodysuit and a dark grey cloak and hood, which was pulled down to reveal the domino mask that completed her outfit. She peered at Herberta with an odd look on her face.

“Hey, Herbie. What’s up?” 

Herberta slowly approached Shadow Stalker as Dragon locked the front doors and activated a hastily installed system that would electrify the air around the doors, preventing Shadow Stalker from using her powers to phase through. As she approached, she had the weird sense that something was about to go wrong. Which was confirmed when the lights suddenly dimmed as the building’s power cut off. Herberta’s eyes instantly adjusted, thanks to night vision contact lenses she’d developed, but it barely gave her enough time to avoid a crossbow bolt from Shadow Stalker. Stowing her pistol, Herberta tapped the housing on her chest. Within moments, the armor flowed over her body, forming her trademark pink and gold bodysuit. She felt the nanotech integrate with her nervous system, enhancing her reflexes slightly. She cracked her neck and assumed a fighting stance.

“Shadow Stalker!” she shouted, “Do not resist! We have you surrounded!” Shadow Stalker growled and stowed her crossbows. Herberta mentally activated a feature that electrified her armor. She saw Shadow Stalker shift into her Breaker state and leap nearly ten feet to a group of PRT troopers. She drew a knife and slashed one of the trooper’s throat, stabbed another in the neck and buried the knife in a third trooper’s eye. She turned and pointed her crossbows at Herberta and fired.

Herberta ducked to one side, avoiding the bolts. She fired her wrist-mounted energy blaster at Shadow Stalker, striking the young cape in the chest and throwing her against the wall.

“Breaker state-disrupting blasts! I thought of everything, Shadow Stalker!” She shouted.

Shadow Stalker rushed her. She brought one crossbow up to Herberta’s face and fired, the bolt bouncing off the transparent force field covering her face. Herberta grabbed the crossbow from her hand and tossed it aside. 

“Give it up, Stalker! You can’t win!” she told the cape, catching a clumsy punch as she did.

The former vigilante snarled and tried to kick Herberta in the ribs. Herberta dodged and punched Shadow Stalker across the room. The former Ward managed to shift into her Breaker state and passed through the wall, flipping Herberta off as she disappeared. A couple moments later, the lights came back on and Dragon’s voice came over the intercom.

-Shadow Stalker has escaped. I’m sorry, Artificer.- She said. Herberta tapped the housing on her chest and retracted her armor. She sighed and put a hand against a nearby wall to steady herself. 

“Well, fuck me.” She sighed.


	5. Investigation 1.5

_**Taylor**_ Thursday, January 20, 2011

Taylor huddled in the corner of the room while Miss Militia pointed a sawed off shotgun at the door. They’d almost finished with the paperwork when the power had suddenly gone out. Miss Militia had instructed Taylor to get behind her. After about a minute, the power came back on, but Miss Militia kept the shotgun braced against her forearm. After a couple of minutes, she heard Herbie’s voice on the other side of the door.

“Hey, Hannah? Could I talk to Taylor for a moment?” Herberta sounded anxious. Miss Militia lowered her shotgun and unlocked the door. Herberta came in, wearing a pink bodysuit with gold accents under a bulletproof vest. She waved to Taylor, then whispered something in Miss Militia’s ear. Miss Militia nodded and walked over to Taylor, extending a hand to help her to her feet. Taylor sat down in a chair and faced Herberta and Miss Militia.

“Can you tell me what’s going on?” she asked. Herberta and Miss Militia glanced at one another.

“Well,” Herberta said slowly, “When we tried to detain Shadow Stalker, and well… things went badly. She escaped and is currently at large. She killed three people.”

Taylor gasped. She’d known Sophia was a sadistic bully, but she hadn’t thought she would kill people.

“Am I safe? Is mom going to be safe?” she asked, panic flooding through her veins as she pictured Shadow Stalker killing her mom. Herberta sat down in the other chair.

“Your mom is fine. We never got the chance to actually tell her why we were arresting her.” She chuckled at the thought. “We’ll post a plainclothes trooper to watch for anything, but all signs point to Shadow Stalker having no idea of your involvement.”

Taylor breathed a sigh of relief. Doing this hadn’t put her mom in danger.

“Is there anything else you need me to do? She asked. Miss Militia walked over and peered over her shoulder to look over the documents on the table in front of her.

“You just need to sign that contract,” she said, gesturing to a packet of papers stapled together. “And then you’ll officially be a member of the Wards. In the meantime, I need to talk to Agent Baker for just a minute, in private.” With that, she and Herberta stepped outside.

_**Herberta** _

Standing outside the intake room, Hannah turned to Herberta and said firmly,

“Now I know you well enough to see you didn’t tell her everything. What’s going on?” Herberta sighed.

“I think someone tipped off Shadow Stalker about the arrest. When the power went out, she immediately started shooting. I have Dragon going over our systems to see if it was a cyberattack. Preliminary data suggests we were hacked.” Hannah sighed and muttered a curse in Arabic.

“So is the kid’s mother really not in danger?” She asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“I believe so. No one with the skills to do this would risk breaking the unwritten rules. I’m confident that Taylor’s mother is safe. The plainclothes trooper is just in case.” Hannah gave her a worried look.

“Are you sure? Sophia is dangerous. It’d be a bad idea to underestimate her.” She put a hand on Herberta’s shoulder.

“I’m sure you know what you’re doing, Herbie. And I’m really glad you decided to come back on duty. I missed post-patrol margaritas.” Hannah smiled as she reentered the intake room. Herberta was about to follow her when Dragon’s voice came over her earpiece.

-I have something.- Herberta paused.

“What?”

-The hacker left a message behind. It says ‘I’m disappointed. Accord spoke so highly of you. Coil’- Herberta drew in a sharp breath. Coil was a mysterious supervillain who was new to the city. All the PRT knew was that he employed large amounts of mercenaries and that he was extremely competent. The only time they’d ever successfully raided one of his hideouts was the raid where they’d found Lisa. They hadn’t found anything else of use there, and Lisa hadn’t known much. But this was a clue.

-Does that mean anything to you, Artificer?- Dragon asked. Herberta smiled. Finally, this asshole had made a mistake.

“It means that I may need to visit an old friend from my days in Boston.” She replied, heading for the intake room.

* * *

Reentering the intake room, Herberta heard Taylor give a squeal of delight.

“I’m a fucking superhero!” she shouted, doing a dance as she celebrated. Herberta smiled as the teenager grinned giddily.

“Well, don’t celebrate just yet. We still have to introduce you to the Wards and get you a costume. And then we have to meet with the Head of Image so we can design your image.” Herberta smirked as she recalled fond memories of winding Glenn up.

“My image?” Taylor asked, her expression uncertain.

“Yeah, like 40% of the hero business is presentation. If you read the contract, it has a community service requirement. 5 hours a week. I volunteer at a battered women’s shelter.” Herberta explained. Taylor smiled.

“I think I can fit that in my schedule. It’s not like I have friends or a social life for community service to cut into.” Taylor said sarcastically. “I mean, I have a girlfriend, but she’s in the Wards now too.” Herberta chuckled.

“I heard. As Lisa’s coworker, congratulations. As Lisa’s surrogate older sister-figure, if you hurt her, I will end you.” Her expression turned serious.

“Understood, ma’am.” Taylor said soberly. Herberta chuckled and smiled.

“Now let’s get you to your mom.” Herberta grabbed Taylor’s shoulder to gently steer her out of the intake room, towards the lobby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, Herberta's work at the battered women's shelter includes tech support, cleaning, and the occasional non-lethal takedowns of abusive partners. She has given an abusive ex-husband the bum's rush, cartoon-style.


	6. Investigation 1.6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back. I had some issues with getting wifi due to the quarantine, but those have been fixed.

**_Taylor_** Friday, January 21, 2011

Taylor stood in front of the Wards concourse beside her mom. 

“Honey, are you ready for this?” Her mom asked. Taylor steeled herself and said.

“Yeah. Just nervous.” As she walked into the concourse, she saw a group of teenagers sitting at a table. One of them, an older Puerto Rican kid with longer hair, waved to her. As Taylor approached them, the rest of them broke into waves and smiles. One of them, a redhead with thin lips got up and came over.

“So you’re the girl Shadow Stalker bullied, huh?” he said, breaking into a smile. “I’m Dennis, also known as Clockblocker. If you ever need to talk about it, we have a group text where we bitch about her. I’ll sign you up.” He put one hand on her shoulder and led her over to the table, introducing her to the various members of the team.

“That’s Carlos, he’s in charge. That’s Chris, he’s a dork. That’s Missy, who’s been here the longest. That’s Dean, he’s an empath. We’re all really glad you’re here.” Taylor blushed.

“It’s so nice to meet you all. I’m Taylor. I haven’t decided on a name yet, but I can control bugs.” She made a couple of ladybugs fly around as a demonstration.

“Cool!” Missy exclaimed. “You must be a Master, then.” Dean sighed.

“If that’s the case, they probably won’t let you use your powers that much. People are afraid of Masters. I have to pretend to be a Tinker.” He explained when Taylor gave him a funny look. Chris groaned.

“Dean, quit bitching. You’re the only one of us with a girlfriend.” Taylor raised her hand and, when the assembled teens looked at her quizzically, said.

“I have a girlfriend. Her name’s Lisa.” Carlos, Dennis and Chris all groaned and handed various quantities of money to a smug Dean. 

“I called you not being interested in them. And bet them that I was right.” He explained. Taylor laughed.

“Do you do this to all the female recruits?” She asked, smiling. Dean chuckled.

“No, just the ones who are cute and nice to be around.” He responded. Taylor blushed. She wasn’t interested in him, but the compliment felt good. At that moment, Lisa walked in.

“You dopes better not be flirting with my girlfriend.” She said teasingly. The assembled heroes groaned.

“Damn it, that’s Lisa?” Carlos moaned. “She teases us with distressing accuracy!” Lisa smirked.

“So I take it you won’t be flirting with my girlfriend anymore?” she asked. Carlos bowed his head.

“Yes ma’am.” He said, defeated. Lisa smiled and patted his back.

“I’m kidding, Carlos. She can hurt you far more effectively than I can.” Carlos stared at her.

“That is in no way reassuring, Lisa.” He said. 

“Wasn’t supposed to be.” She walked over and gave Taylor a quick peck on the lips before sitting down beside her and putting an arm around her. 

“Now Herbie says you have an appointment with Glenn Chambers in twenty minutes.” The other Wards all groaned. Taylor goggled at them in confusion.

“What’s so bad about him?” She asked.

“Well…”

  
  
  


After listening to the Wards grip about the PR head for the PRT, Taylor walked into a large room, where Herberta stood next to a portly and poorly dressed man with thick horn-rim glasses and a comb-over. Herberta smiled and waved Taylor over.

“Taylor, this is Glenn Chambers, the Head of Image for the PRT. He’s here to help you with your presentation as a hero.” Chambers chuckled.

“Call me Glenn. I’m sure you’ve heard all the horror stories about how I cramp your style. But I assure you, I will work with you, not against you.” He gestured to a platform with a pair of robotic arms extending out.

“Please, stand there, so we can get your measurements.” He asked politely. Taylor ambled over and stood as the arms moved around her, scanning and measuring her. After a minute, the arms stopped moving and Herberta tapped a couple of times on the tablet she held.

“Now that that’s over with, let’s get down to business,” Glenn announced. He sat down in a chair and pulled out a notepad.

“Now, since you’re a Master, we do have to be careful with how you present yourself. Now, what have you been able to do with your abilities?” He asked. Taylor swallowed.

“Well, I can control them, obviously. But it also seems that I can sense things through them. Like I was able to notice stuff behind me.” Taylor explained. “I can’t explain how it works, but it’s like the bugs tell me where everything is.” Glenn stroked his chin.

“So we can say you’re a Thinker, with the ability to use bugs to expand your awareness. A sort of ‘skitter-sense’, if you will. I think I have an idea for how we can make the most of your power. You limit your power to controlling beetles, spiders and butterflies. But you make use of the improved senses all the other bugs provide. But, instead of using your bugs as weapons, we give you a bug themed suit that has plenty of offensive features. I’m thinking a pair of energy shooters shaped like stingers, and maybe some mechanical arms for climbing and grabbing things. We give your mask expressive eyes, since it doesn’t really impede your vision. All we need is a non-threatening color scheme and we have a suit design.” He put down his notepad. 

“Any suggestions? I always prefer input from the hero on their costume and image.”

Taylor perked up. While they were in the hospital, she and Lisa had brainstormed practical uses for her power.

“I actually have an idea for what to make the suit out of. I can get black widow spiders to spin dragline silk, which is stronger than steel.” Glenn nodded sagely.

“Sounds great. Once we have a design, I’ll send you the pattern so you can have it woven. Any opinions on color schemes?” He asked.

“How about blue and grey?” Taylor asked.

**_Herberta_ **

After Taylor had left, Glenn grabbed a sketchpad and started sketching. Herberta peered over his shoulder.

“I should be able to build the systems you described.” She said, Glenn grunted and finished sketching. He rose and turned to Herberta.

“Thank you. Herberta, it was great seeing you again. If you ever want a suit redesign, I’m only a phone call away.” He turned and headed for the door.

**_Taylor_ **

Taylor sat in the Wards dorm, listening to the other capes gossip about the cape scene in Brockton Bay.

“I heard that Miss Militia and Artificer had a fling at the Simurgh victory party.” Taylor’s head popped up from its position on the couch.

“Artificer’s gay?” she asked, surprised.

“Uh, duh.” Missy replied. “She flirted with Citrine all the time when she was in Boston.” She stared at Taylor. “You’re a gay cape nerd and you didn’t know this?”

“Hey, I wasn’t a big cape nerd! The only cape I knew was gay was Lustrum, and that was ‘cause my mother had a crush on her!” The Wards all looked at her.

“Wasn’t she the feminist one who castrated a cape or something?” Chris asked. Everyone looked at him in surprise.

“What?” He asked indignantly, “I pay attention sometimes!” Everyone nodded in surprised acknowledgement of his point.

“But seriously, one of your moms had a crush on Lustrum?” Carlos asked.

“I swear to God.” Taylor said, holding her hand up like she was swearing an oath. Everyone chuckled at that. Dean broke in.

“So, what is your suit going to look like?” He asked. Taylor smiled. As she explained the design ideas, the assembled Wards oohed and ahhed at the description. When she finished, Chris let out a low whistle.

“Damn, that sounds cool! I can’t wait to see it.” He glanced at the clock. “Should you be heading home? It’s almost seven.” Taylor started. 

“Shit! My mom must have been waiting for an hour!” She jumped up and rushed out of the dorm room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say about this, it's mostly filler, but there's a reason that Glenn is a bit standoffish towards Herberta.


	7. Investigation 1.7

**_Herberta_** Sunday, January 21, 2011

Herberta sat back, admiring her handiwork. She had built a series of mechanical insectoid limbs that attached to an armor plate that Taylor could wear on her back. It also had compartments for additional equipment or gear. The limbs used electro-elastic nanofibers to move, which meant they could retract into the housing for ease of movement. The tips split into three blades that could grip things, allowing Taylor to use them as arms. The housing had six sockets, but they could adjust the number as needed. She turned to look at the rest of her recent work. A pair of wrist bracers that were made to look like stingers, but in fact contained blasters that fired bolts of electricity. A mask whose eyes had lenses that expanded and contracted in tune with the wearers eye movements. A set of titanium composite armor plates. She had managed to build all the necessary mechanical components for Taylor’s suit in just two days, largely thanks to the fact that she hadn’t needed to sleep since her trigger event nearly 15 years ago. 

Herberta got up and went to make some coffee. While it was steeping, her phone rang. Picking up, she heard Dragon’s modulated voice.

“-I did the research you requested on Accord’s organization.-” She said. Herberta smiled.

“I figure some things have changed in the six years since I’ve been in Boston.”

“-Undoubtedly. I also had some concerns about the events of Shadow Stalker’s escape. How did Coil know we were arresting her?-”

“I thought about that,” Herberta said, straining her coffee as she talked, “And I think that if Coil was able to hack our electrical systems, he would definitely be able to hack a trooper’s email. He probably just got lucky.”

“-I disagree.-” Dragon said. “-I worry that Coil’s organization has infiltrated the PRT.-” 

“We thought that at first, but Calvert ordered a security audit, and we never found anything.” Dragon sighed.

“-Very well. But be careful. If there is an infiltrator, they may be very high up in the chain of command.-” 

“I’ll be careful, Dee.” Herberta said as she hung up and sipped her coffee.

She had work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we've finished the first arc! There will be two interludes, then we move on to Arc Two: Departed. 
> 
> Now the story is going to vaguely follow canon until the Leviathan battle and I'm going to try and keep stuff short. You're not going to see Taylor's hero career in extreme detail. This is also going to set up some major changes down the line. But after Leviathan, I have plans that wildly diverge from canon. Just stay with me for now, and I promise there will be interesting stuff, like:
> 
> \- Hero!Echidna!
> 
> \- Herberta's many exes!
> 
> \- Tinkers!
> 
> \- And so much more!
> 
> Anyways, thank you everyone who kudosed and bookmarked and said something nice about my work. I can't compete with what Wildbow created, but I'm glad you guys think it's good.


	8. Interlude 1.a-Madison

-January 10, 2011-

Madison walked into her history class and sat down next to Sophia and Emma. The other two girls were laughing at something.

“Hey, what’s so funny?” She asked. Sophia chuckled and Emma giggled.

“Hebert’s in the hospital!” Emma crowed, bursting into giggles.

“What happened?” Madison asked, a sick feeling pooling in her stomach. 

“We stuck her in her locker!” Sophia guffawed as she explained. “But before we put her there, we dumped the tampon bin from the bathroom inside.” Madison gasped.

“What is wrong with you guys? Haven’t you heard of toxic shock syndrome?” She shouted at them. “She could die!” Sophia and Emma looked at her incredulously.

“ _ This  _ is what you have a problem with?” Sophia asked. Madison nodded angrily.

“You guys are horrible! Why would you do that to anyone?” She whispered.  _ How could I not have seen this? _ she thought. Then she thought about what she’d been doing the past year. Of course she’d seen it, she’d just ignored it because they were… what? Pretty? Was this worth it? In that moment, Madison realized something.

_ I’m not a good person.  _

She got up and rushed away, blinking away tears, from the two people she had thought were her friends.

  
  


Sitting in a bathroom stall, Madison cried. 

How could she have been so cruel? It wasn’t like doing any of this would have made Sophia and Emma look at her. Was this who she was? A bully who hurt people for no reason? She sobbed as she wallowed in abject misery. 

She didn’t know how long she cried for, but when it was over, she’d made a decision.

_ I’m not a good person. But I could try to be. _

Tomorrow, she’d go to the police about this. She’d take whatever punishment she got. It would be her penance. She’d never be a good person, but she’d be a better person than she had been.

She had to be. 

  
For Taylor’s sake.


	9. Interlude 1.b- Shadow Stalker

-January 20, 2011-

Sophia landed hard on the asphalt. Damn it! She thought. I’m burned. She’d gotten a text earlier that day, saying that the PRT was going to arrest her. The source had told her that they had an offer for her when she got burned.

Well, fuck the PRT. A bunch of weaklings, defending that weakling Hebert, she thought, as she made her way to the spot her mysterious contact had listed. She crushed the SIM card on her phone under her heel while she waited. Suddenly, she felt a pinprick in her neck. Before she could react, her world turned to darkness.

When Sophia awoke, she was sitting in an abandoned factory, sitting at a table. Beside her were two teenagers. One was tall and black, clad in motorcycle leathers. The other was pretty, with curly black hair and blue eyes and wore a ruffled white shirt over skintight leggings. He looked like he was an extra in a fucking Shakespeare production.

“Who the hell are these guys?” she asked angrily. Before she could get up and leave, a man appeared. He was incredibly thin and wore a black bodysuit with a white snake on the forehead. He sat down across from them.

“I am Coil, Miss Shadow Stalker. And I would like you to lead this team of parahumans.” Sophia looked at the other two. 

“Why?” She asked. Coil smiled, steepling his fingers together.

“Because,” he explained, “You are strong and willing to make tough decisions. And I want to expose the PRT’s weakness.” Sophia smiled wolfishly.

“Sounds great. When do we start?” She asked.

“Right now.” Coil responded, “Now allow me to introduce you to your teammates.” He gestured to the boy in bicycle leathers.

“This is Brian Laborn, known as Grue. His power is that he can generate darkness that blocks hearing and touch as well as sight. It also seems to mess with Breaker states as well, but that effect is inconsistent.” 

“The other young man is Jean-Paul Vasil, aka Regent. He has the ability to hijack the nervous systems of other people, making them his puppets.” Regent waved jauntily at Sophia. Coil got up and walked over, handing Sophia a tablet.

“Now, this device controls the microexplosives I had implanted in their brains.” Regent and Grue both leapt to their feet, shouting angrily.

“What the FUCK?” they both shouted. Coil sighed.

“You do realize I am a supervillain, correct?” Coil drawled. “Now, I will implant a monitor in Shadow Stalker so that, if she dies, the bombs will detonate. If the signal from the device stops, the bombs will detonate. So do not attempt any sort of funny business, understood?”

Grue and Regent nodded, defeated. Coil smiled.

“Anything to add, Shadow Stalker?” He asked. Sophia smiled.


	10. Departed 2.1

**_Taylor_** Monday, January 24, 2011

Taylor stood in the Winslow parking lot. She had gotten a new t-shirt that said “I’m not gay, but my girlfriend is.” Lisa stood beside her, holding her hand.

“I can’t do this.” she said.

“Sure you can,” Lisa told her, squeezing her hand, “You wanna know why? Because you’re Taylor freaking Hebert. You stood up to a cape. Compared to that, school is a cakewalk.” Taylor squeezed Lisa’s hand in response.

“Thanks,” she said, “For everything.”

The couple then started towards the school entrance, arms linked.

* * *

As Taylor entered the school, she saw Madison, the least of her tormentors, standing by her new locker looking intently at the floor. The school had given her a new one, rather than risk triggering any potential post-traumatic stress, which Taylor thought was quite considerate of them.

“Madison, whatever you’re about to do to me, don’t.” She warned as she opened her locker, “I am done being afraid of you, Emma, and especially Sophia.” Madison sighed and looked up.

“Actually, I wanted to apologize.” Taylor slammed the locker door shut. 

“Come again?” she asked, confused.

“I want to say that I’m sorry for every shitty thing I did to you, and every time I went along with Emma and Sophia. I turned them in, you know.”

“What?” Taylor put a hand against the lockers to steady herself.

“I went to the police nearly two weeks ago and told them everything. They arrested Emma and, well, she’s going to juvie. They gave me probation and 500 hours of community service.”

Taylor couldn’t believe it. Madison had confessed. “Why?” she asked, her voice a whisper.

“Because I realized I wasn’t a good person, and decided I should do my best to be better.” Madison said, looking down at the floor again. 

“I know I don’t deserve forgiveness, but could you ever forgive me?” Madison asked. She stood there, almost as if offering herself up to Taylor’s mercy.

Taylor considered it a moment. Madison had tormented her for nearly two years and had helped Sophia and Emma do the same. But, if she thought about it, what had Madison done? Her bullying had consisted of childish pranks that had, at worst, mildly inconvenienced her. And she hadn’t been involved in the locker incident, on account of being out sick. But, the minute she’d found out about it, she’d gone straight to the police. Maybe she’d made some bad choices, but was still a good person, despite what Madison herself thought.

“I’ll think about it.” Taylor said finally. Madison sighed.

“I’ll see you around, then.” she said, trudging off. Taylor stared after her.

* * *

At lunch, Taylor sat next to Lisa. As they ate, Taylor looked around for any sign of Madison.

“What’s up sweetie?” Lisa asked.

“Madison apologized to me. Said she didn’t deserve forgiveness, but she asked for it. Apparently, she turned in Emma the minute she found out about the locker.” Lisa looked at her.

“And you weren’t sure about it.” Lisa deduced.

“Yeah.” The couple sat in silence for a moment.

“You want to go check on her.”

“I want to go check on her.”

* * *

As they entered the girls bathroom, Lisa and Taylor heard the faint sound of crying. In the farthest stall, Madison sat, crying. At the sound of footsteps, she sniffled and looked up.

“Hi, Taylor. I guess you’re here to tell me to go to hell.” Taylor sighed.

“Madison, this is my girlfriend Lisa. Would you mind telling her what you told me?”

As Madison explained, Taylor watched Lisa’s expression soften. When Madison finished, Lisa reached over and squeezed her shoulder. She turned to Taylor, whispering.

“She’s honestly repentant.” Taylor smiled and turned to face Madison.

“Then, Madison, I forgive you,” hearing those words, Taylor saw the short girl exhale a relieved breath. “But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten what you did. You’ll have to earn it.” She said.

Madison stood. She was smiling like a boxer before a match. “I will.” she said, resolve evident in her voice. Taylor smiled back at her.

“I know you will.” As they exited the bathroom, Lisa whispered to Taylor, “You got that she had a crush on Emma, right?”

“Yup. That’s why I forgave her. I’m no stranger to Emma-induced moral relativism.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some clarification on Herbie's job. She works for PICIS, the Parahuman Incident and Criminal Investigation Service. It's like NCIS, but for parahuman incidents.
> 
> Also, discussion topic! Write in a comment your ideas for the Parahuman version of any Mystery/ Police Procedural franchise character. Powers, trigger, potential cape identity. If I like the concept, I'll use them as an incidental character.


	11. Departed 2.2

**_Taylor_** Monday, January 24, 2011

Taylor walked into the Wards dorm, followed by Lisa. Dean and Missy waved from their card game. 

“How was school?” Dean asked.

“Weird.” Taylor answered, dropping her backpack on the floor beside her. “I think I’m friends with one of my bullies now.” 

Dean mimed pulling out a notepad. “Well, tell Dr. Stansfield everything.” he drawled. Taylor chuckled at the affectation.

“No need to play shrink with me, Stansfield. It’s fine, just taking me a little time to get used to it.” Taylor said. Missy laughed.

“Go fish, Dean.” she said. Dean swore under his breath. Taylor chuckled.

“Dean, you’re losing at cards to a thirteen year-old. That’s really kinda sad.” Lisa remarked. 

“Fuck off, Lisa.” Dean flipped Lisa off as he said this. Taylor chuckled.

**_Herberta_ **

Herberta stepped into the lobby of what was registered as the headquarters of Symmetra Holdings, a front company for the supervillain group known as the Ambassadors. Wearing a heavy ankle-length coat over her armor, she strode up to the reception desk.

“Hello, welcome to Symmetra Holdings, how can I help you?” asked the receptionist, a petite brunette with a thick New England accent. Herberta smiled.

“Herberta Baker, here to see the boss.” she said, affecting a slight Boston accent.

“Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked. Herberta let the coat fall open, revealing her pink and gold armor. Her helmet formed around her head, the pale blue tactical lenses extending out to cover her eyes. The receptionist’s eyes widened.

“I think he might make an exception for an old acquaintance.” She drawled. She saw the receptionist press the silent alarm and sighed. She tapped the side of her helmet, activating the sensor system in the armor, which showed a dozen armed troopers lining up behind her. She smiled bashfully at the receptionist.

“You might want to duck.” she told the woman. As the woman dropped down below the desk, the assembled troopers opened fire, shredding her coat. The bullets impacted the mixture of force fields and metal plating that made up the armor, the integrated nano-tech repairing any damage. Due to the method she had used to allow the armor to enhance her reflexes, she felt a twinge of pain every time the armor was damaged. Gritting her teeth against the pain, Herberta turned around, crossing her arms as several disks formed on the armor, covering her forearms. 

_ BWAAAM _

A burst of sound and light emanated from the disks, disorienting the troopers. While they regained their bearings, Herberta sprang into action. She swept her leg and tripped the two closest troopers, catching them both with punches to the jaw as she landed in a crouch. Three more soldiers rushed her. Herberta reacted by blasting one across the room, causing him to hit two more soldiers, leaving them in a heap. She punched another in the chin, rendering him instantly unconscious, then kicked a third in the chest, sending him stumbling back. Two soldiers leveled their weapons at her, but before they could fire, Herberta fired bolts of force that knocked them to the ground. The stumbling soldier swung a haymaker at her, but Herberta dodged and hit him in the throat with a punch that dropped him like a sack of bricks. The last three soldiers came at her. Herberta caught the first one’s punch, broke his wrist and tossed him aside. The next one drew a combat knife and rushed her, but Herberta disarmed him and stabbed him in the knee, making him collapse in pain. The last soldier leveled a pistol at her, but before he could fire, Herberta used her strength to slam the pistol into his head. As he crumpled to the ground, Herberta turned to the receptionist, who was shaking with fear, and asked.

  
“Boss’s office is still on the top floor, right?” The shell-shocked receptionist nodded shakily, and Herberta smiled.

“Thank you.” she said cheerily, making her way through the fallen soldiers to the elevator.

**_Taylor_** Thursday, January 27, 2011

Taylor, Lisa and Madison sat at a lunch table, Madison picking at her food while Taylor and Lisa chatted excitedly. Things had been going well the past few days, with Madison being nice, if a little mopey. Taylor noticed Madison’s saddened expression and tapped Lisa’s shoulder.

“What’s got you down, Madison?” Lisa asked. Madison sighed.

“Realizing you’re not a good person sucks.” she complained. Lisa sighed. She put a hand on Madison’s shoulder. 

“Madison,” she said, looking the other girl in the eye, “You might not be a good person, but you’re hardly a bad one. You showed remorse, and that is not something a bad person would do.” Madison smiled thinly.

“Thanks, Lisa.” she said, sniffling a little. The blonde smiled.

“That’s what I’m here for.”

* * *

As Taylor and Lisa walked to the PRT headquarters from Winslow, Taylor spoke up.

“You’re really good at helping people. Why is that?” she asked.

“My power lets me see what people are thinking, so I know exactly what to say to help.” Lisa explained. “It’s a different way of using my power than I’m used to, but I really enjoy it.” She giggled. “Using them this way makes me feel… almost giddy.” Taylor chuckled.

“You’re a dork.” she said. Lisa smiled.

“That’s why you love me, Sweetie.” Lisa stood on her tiptoes to kiss Taylor. As their kiss deepened, they heard a wolf-whistle. Lisa broke the kiss and stared in the direction of the noise.

“Damn it, Vista!” she yelled at the rooftop. The couple heard a laugh echo from the rooftops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of notes
> 
> First, I'm switching to a Monday-Wednesday-Friday update schedule, as I have 10 arcs worth of writing finished and ready to post.
> 
> Second, If anyone wants to make fan art, particularly of Herberta/Artificer, all I ask is you put a link in a comment so I can see it.


	12. Departed 2.3

**_Taylor_** Thursday, January 27, 2011

As Taylor and Lisa made their way to the Protectorate command center, they met up with Carlos and Missy, both in costume. Carlos glanced over at the couple.

“So, Taylor, have you picked out a name yet?” he asked. Taylor smiled.

“I was thinking of Weaver, what do you guys think?” she asked.

“That sounds badass!” Missy shouted. Carlos glared at her.

“Despite her inappropriate volume, Missy’s right. It does sound badass.” he admitted.

As the quartet entered the command center, they were greeted by the sight of Armsmaster, Velocity and Miss Militia conversing amongst themselves. As the Wards entered, the various capes quieted. As everyone stood in awkward silence, Armsmaster spoke.

“Well, Taylor, we finally have your suit ready.” he said, gesturing to the case beside him. “Want to try it on?”

“Sure.” Taylor replied, grabbing the case and headed for the locker room.

* * *

  
  


Inside the locker room, Taylor opened the case. 

Inside was a folded up bodysuit, next to a curved oval plate of metal. Taylor stripped down to her underwear and pulled on the suit, which felt nice and cool on her skin. She picked up the plate and attached it to the connectors on her shoulders. She looked in the case and found a mask underneath the back plate. Putting it on, she looked at herself in the mirror

Her suit was a dark blue, with lines of light grey breaking up the color. She had light grey bracers shaped to look like stylized stingers on both arms and had a set of similarly colored greaves over her shins. The feet of her suit had a pair of small ridges extending from her ankles to the soles, evoking the design of insect limbs. But the mask was what really pulled it together. It was mostly blue, but had a set of light grey lines extending from the cheeks, giving the impression of an insect’s mandibles. The eyes were a dull yellow, and had dark grey appretures around them that expanded and retracted, according to her facial expressions. On the suit’s chestplate, there was the stylized image of a web in the center. 

She looked like a hero.

Exiting the locker room in her suit, Taylor heard the sound of applause as she reentered the command center.

“Ladies and gentlemen, say hello… to Weaver!” Carlos announced as she came through the doors. She saw Miss Militia take a photo. “Herbie’s in Boston, but she’d kill me if I didn’t get a picture for her.” the older woman said. Taylor smiled beneath the mask. Armsmaster cleared his throat.

“Weaver, are you ready for your first patrol?” he asked. Taylor nodded.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Taylor had to admit there was a downside to being a superhero. Her feet ACHED. She plodded along, trailing behind Armsmaster, Velocity and Vista, who seemed far less affected by the hours of walking. As they made their way through the Docks, Taylor pointed out some of the features of the area.

“My mom used to be a union rep for that company.” she remarked after seeing the logo on a dilapidated building. 

“Really?” Armsmaster asked.

“Yeah, now she’s in HR at the DWA.” 

“Interesting.” As the group rounded a corner, Armsmaster groaned.

“Oh fuck me.” he said.

Lung, leader of the gang known as the Azn Bad Boys, was bellowing at who Taylor mentally thought of as the ‘Dumb and Dumber’ of supervilains, Uber and Leet, a pair of video-game themed villians. The pair looked absolutely terrified. Taylor checked the charge on her stingers. She recognized the look on their faces. It was probably how she’d looked sometimes during the past year and a half. Maybe she couldn’t change what had happened to her, but she could keep it from happening to these two schmucks.

“I’m going in.” she said. Armsmaster blanched. 

“You can’t be serious,” he whispered. “This isn’t worth starting a fight over.” Taylor cracked her knuckles.

“It is to me.” Steeling herself, Taylor rushed around the corner.

“Hey asshole! Go pick on someone your own size!” she shouted, firing her stingers at Lung, leaving burns on his skin, which disappeared instantly. Lung turned and glared at her.

_ I’ve made a huge mistake,  _ Taylor thought. She opened fire with her stingers. Leet and Uber booked it, running like their lives depended on it, passing out of sight in less than a minute. The stinger blasts struck Lung, eliciting a roar from the gangster. Lung curled his hand into a claw, generating a ball of fire that he threw at Taylor. Taylor ducked as the fireball melted the asphalt behind her. Expanding her power, she sent out a command to as many insects as she could to converge on her location. Now, all she had to do was survive long enough for them to get there.

Lung continued hurling fireballs at Taylor as she weaved a path through the street. She saw a first-story roof and took a running jump. As she was about to smack the side of the building, four mechanical insect legs extended from her back and dug into the wall. The legs nimbly pulled her up the wall and onto the roof, just in time to avoid a fireball from Lung.

“Guys, where are you?” she shouted into her comm.

“Vista and Velocity are apprehending Uber and Leet. And I’m not getting into a fight with Lung with only the new Ward as backup.” Armsmaster replied. Taylor groaned.

“You’re my backup!” she shouted.

Armsmaster sighed. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” 

Taylor saw him round the corner and aimed his halberd at Lung. A laser beam shot from the blade, hitting Lung in the shoulder, flesh sizzling at the contact. Lung roared and fired a gout of flame from one hand at him. Armsmaster dodged it, rolling to one side. He fired again, hitting Lung in the head. Lung roared and an explosion of fire emanated from him. When the smoke cleared, Lung’s face had transformed into that of a dragon. He roared, scales covering his body. Lung hurled another burst of flame at Taylor, who dove off the roof, landing in a crouch.

“I will rend the flesh from your bones!” Lung roared. Taylor gulped. She felt the bugs around her.  _ Black widows, brown recluses, a couple bees. I can work with this,  _ she thought. She mentally directed the creatures to crawl up Lung’s legs and back. Dodging a fireball, she commanded her bugs to bite and sting him all at once. 

“ARRGHH!!” Lung screamed, staggering around as the venom spread through his veins. After about a minute, he collapsed in a heap. Waiting a moment to make sure Lung was down for good, she rushed over, pulling out a pair of cuffs. Armsmaster met her there, kneeling down to sedate Lung. Taylor cuffed Lung as Armsmaster hoisted the unconscious gangster over his shoulder. As they walked back towards the PHQ, they heard a splattering noise. Armsmaster stopped walking.

“Let’s keep walking.” He said, after a moment. Taylor nodded emphatically.


	13. Departed 2.4

**_Taylor_** Thursday, January 27, 2011.

Taylor sat at the table in the command center as Armsmaster argued with Director Piggot. They’d been going at it for nearly an hour since she’d returned with Lung in tow. It turned out that the various bug venoms had reacted to the sedative Armsmaster had administered and caused an adverse reaction that led to Lung’s penis falling off, which explained the splat they’d heard.

“...was incredibly irresponsible”

“What was I supposed to do, leave her to face Lung alone?” Armsmaster shouted.

“You should have gotten her out of there, you egotistical douche!” Piggot retorted.

Taylor had changed out of her suit and into some PRT-issue sweats, but had been ordered to stay at the PHQ until they’d finished debriefing. She’d called her mom and told her it’d be a while before she got home. She’d sat and listened half heartedly as Piggot and Armsmaster screamed at one another.

As Armsmaster and Piggot calmed down, Taylor yawned. “I should really get going. Weaver needs sleep badly.” she joked. She made her way to the lobby and lay down on one of the couches and waited for her mom.

**_Herberta_** Monday, January 24, 2011

Herberta sat at Accord’s desk, leaning back in the chair as she waited. After about fifteen minutes, the elevator doors opened and the premier supervillain of Boston strode into the room.

He was just as short as she remembered, barely clearing five feet. He wore a pristine white suit, immaculately tailored to his frame. And of course, the silvery mask that currently showed a baffled expression.

“Artificer, please take your feet off my desk.” he asked, a slight Boston accent coloring his speech. Herberta removed her boots from the desk. She and Accord had been adversaries for nearly five years, and had built up a great deal of respect for one another during that time. She had learned to respect his anal-retentive genius, while he had developed a grudging tolerance of her disorderly nature.

“It’s been six years, and nary a phone call,” he said, amusement evident in his tone, “I could be forgiven for thinking you were avoiding me.” Herberta chuckled as she got up and let him take the chair.

“Sorry for not calling, Cordy, but I just left things so awkwardly with Honey Lemon, so I decided to make a clean break.” Accord cringed at the nicknames Herberta used for him and his senior lieutenant, Citrine. 

“A letter would have sufficed.” he said, pointedly.

“My handwriting would have given you a stroke.” she replied. “Besides, I’ve always loved talking face-to-face, just like the old days.” Accord nodded sagely.

“Why are you here? I doubt it’s simply to reminisce about days gone by.” Accord asked.

“Ten points to Cordy. I’ve been dealing with this cape recently, Coil, who happened to mention that you talked me up.” She saw a smile tug at the corners of Accord’s mask.

“He’s underestimated you.” the Bostonian remarked.

“You say that like you expected him to.” Herberta deduced.

“Coil has the weakness of a great many Thinkers, he thinks his powers are infallible, and that they need no assistance. You and I know better, of course.” he chuckled. “But he’s new to the game, so perhaps you can forgive his inexperience.”

“I really don’t give a damn about his inexperience. I want anything you can tell me about his organization. I have evidence he tried to hook a sixteen year-old on drugs to control her.” Accord grimaced, and Herberta saw a flash of anger in his eyes.

“That son of a bitch. Very well. I don’t know much, but I know he’s well funded and has several bases. His sales pitch on the virtues of redundant headquarters was evidence of that. He explained his power as being able to ‘fork’ timelines, perceiving two timelines, identical save for the choices he makes, and then collapsing the one he dislikes. I find that improbable, prefering to believe that he in fact perceives simulated timelines that he can live out perfectly.” he smiled smugly. “I know that piece of information will be especially helpful to you.” 

“You know me so well, Cordy.” Herberta deadpanned. “Thank you for the tip-off. When we catch him, would you want an invite to the interrogation?” She made her way towards the elevator door.

“Pass. As soon as you leave, I have to cut ties with Coil. A man who uses addiction to control his subordinates is not someone I can be associated with. I’d rather not see him again, even if it were to gloat.” 

“Gotcha. Tell Citrine I said hi,” Herberta stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the lobby. “And give your receptionist a raise! She didn’t pass out when I beat up your lackeys like the last one!” she shouted as the elevator doors closed.


	14. Departed 2.5

**_Herberta_** Friday, January 28, 2011

Herberta strode into the PRT command center, hands raised in triumph. 

“I got info on Coil! I will now accept your adulation, praise, and I wouldn’t say no to Hannah giving me oral…” she stopped as she saw Missy, sitting with her feet propped on the table, reading the paper.

“Don’t stop just ‘cause I’m here,” she said, without looking up from the paper. “I’ve heard worse.”

Now feeling thoroughly chastened, Herberta took a seat at the table. Missy handed her a section of the paper to read. She’d made it halfway through the Metro section when Hannah came in, in full uniform, a worried expression across her face. Herberta rushed over and gave her a hug.

“So, what did I miss?” Hannah sighed.

“While you were getting drunk with your old teammates, Taylor made Lung’s penis fall off.” Herberta stared at her in disbelief.

“I’m not screwing with you.” Hannah insisted. Herberta sighed.

“There’s no way I’m sober enough to hear how this happened.”

* * *

Sitting in Hannah’s quarters with a huge bottle of rum, Herberta summarized the situation.

“So, Uber and Leet accidentally trapped Lung in a Pokeball they built, which broke down and released him, Lung predictably got pissed and was about to murder them, when Taylor, out on her first patrol, sees this and intervenes.” she said slowly. “She incapacitates Lung using a combination of black widow, brown recluse and hornet venom, which has an adverse reaction to Colin’s sedative, and causes his dick to fall off.” Hannah cringed.

“That’s about the gist of it.” she said. Herberta paused, then chugged the entire bottle of rum. She paused for a moment, then turned to Hannah.

“Have they found the penis?” she asked. Hannah groaned. 

“Assault and Battery are searching as we speak.” she said. Herberta burst out laughing. After a moment, Hannah joined in. When they finished, Herberta lay back on the bed.

“This past week has been a trip down memory lane. Boston, this bed even brings back some memories.” Herberta wiggled her eyebrows suggestively as she said this. Hannah chuckled for a moment, then sighed.

“Speaking of Boston, did you talk to Citrine?” she asked hesitantly. Herberta’s smile faded.

“No.” she sighed. “I guess I was too big a coward to face her.” Hannah put her hand on her shoulder.

“It’s okay to miss her, you know.” the Middle-Eastern woman whispered. Herberta sighed.

“I know that, it’s just… I met someone recently. She’s great, but I’m worried I’m gonna screw it up, just like I did with J… Citrine.” she admitted. Hannah smiled.

“Herberta, you worry too much. I’m sure you’ll be great for Dani. She seems nice, and I don’t think she’s moonlighting as a supervillain.” Herberta chuckled at that.

“Thanks for the pep talk, Hannah.”

**_Taylor_ **

Taylor ate lunch alone. Lisa had PRT business today, so it was just her. She looked up and saw Madison walk over, a small package under her arm. As the shorter girl sat down, Taylor gestured to the package. 

“What’s in the box?” she asked, noticing Madison’s nervous expression. She slid the package over to Taylor. 

“Open it.” she asked.

Taylor opened the package and gasped. Inside the box was a flute, battered and chipped, with the letters ‘A.H.’ embossed on it.

“Madison, is this…” she asked, her eyes watering. Madison nodded. Taylor stood up and walked over to sit beside her, then reached over to give her a hug.

“Thank you, Madison."


	15. Interlude 2.a- Citrine

Jeanne tapped her foot as the elevator slowly ascended. She was in a black cocktail dress and heels, and was carrying her distinctive gem-encrusted mask. As she entered, Accord looked up.

“Citrine, mask on.” he asked pointedly. She sighed and put it on.

“Sir, why did you call me here? I was on a date.”  _ The first in a long time,  _ she thought.

“I do apologize for interrupting your search for… coitus,” Accord said, pronouncing the last word with a degree of distaste. “I have something important to tell you that couldn’t wait any longer.” 

“What is it?” she asked.  _ And why would it require interrupting me getting to know a very friendly young woman named Regina,  _ she thought.

“An old… acquaintance of ours turned up in my office today. Artificer.” Jeanne gasped. Accord continued. “We both know why she may not have wanted to see you.” Jeanne recalled the last time she’d seen Herberta.

* * *

_ Jeanne threw the engagement ring at Herberta. _

_ “FUCK YOU!” she screamed, the ring clattering on the floor as she stormed out. _

_ The door slammed behind her. _

* * *

  
  


Jeanne shook herself out of her reverie, seeing Accord waiting patiently. 

“In any case,” he continued, “she informed me that our associate, Coil, had attempted to get a teenager addicted to drugs, intending to use them as a means of controlling her. Thus, we will be cutting all ties with Coil’s organization immediately.”

_ Ah, that explains it.  _ Accord hated the opioid epidemic. Whether it was the chaos it caused or some personal sentiment, he hated the idea of people using addictions for their own ends. When a pharmaceutical executive had bragged to his face about profiting off the epidemic, Accord had pushed him out a ten-story window. Selling Coil out to the Protectorate was a comparatively measured response.

“Naturally, I gave her all the assistance I could.” Accord continued. “A man who uses addiction as a leash is hardly someone we can associate with.

“Understood, sir. Would you like me to take any additional action?” They could put out a hit, ruin his finances, or any number of inconvenient things.

“I think not. I informed Artificer about Coil’s power, so I believe I have struck a mortal blow already. I simply desired to inform you of this executive decision. You can leave.”

As Jeanne made her way over to the elevator, Accord called out.

“Citrine, I am deeply sorry I ruined your date. It’s good to see you moving on. I can tell Artificer has.”


	16. Larceny 3.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we start, a couple of notes about New Wave in this AU:  
> -Carol is an alcoholic, and is fairly verbally abusive to Amy, making Victoria rather protective of her.
> 
> -Amy was vision-impaired during her trigger event, leading to her triggering with a Thinker power that lets her see the information she would get from skin contact in canon.

**_Taylor_** Saturday, February 5, 2011

Taylor stood in line at the bank with her mom, accompanied by Herberta and Lisa. She’d received her first paycheck from the Wards and they were all going to see her deposit it. Apparently, all of the Wards usually came incognito, but since there was a PR event for the Protectorate today, most of them were either at the event, or keeping watch in case one of the gangs tried something. Lisa had requested the day off in advance, and Herberta had used her Noctis status to pull a graveyard shift.

“So, honey, what are you going to do with your money?” her mom asked. Taylor considered it.

“I thought I might treat everyone to lunch, maybe get a new book or something, and save the rest.” she answered.

“That’s the financially conservative woman I raised.” her mom smiled. Herberta grinned

“So what you’re saying is that your mom’s a cheapskate?” she asked, her tone mischievous.

“Just a little,” her mom admitted, “I was a college student once, and I never really got out of the spending habits I made then.” Taylor chuckled.

“So that’s why I feel like I’m living with a grad student.” she remarked. Herberta stifled a laugh.

  
  


After depositing her check, Taylor, Lisa and her mom waited, while Herberta went to discuss some details about an escort for an armored truck with the manager. Taylor and her mom were discussing lunch options when Lisa waved to someone in the bank.

“Hey, Vic!” she shouted. A tall blonde girl strode over, followed closely by a shorter, mousy-haired girl with freckles. The blonde gave Lisa a friendly hug, while the mousy girl gave an awkward wave.

“Taylor, this is Victoria Dallon, otherwise known as Glory Girl. And over there, trying her best to sink into the floor, is her sister Amy, known as Panacea.” she chuckled. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Amy wants to invest in biotech stock, and she doesn’t make enough for a stockbroker.” Amy blushed and stared at the floor when Victoria said this.

“Victoria!” Lisa admonished. “You’re embarrassing Amy.” Taylor waved Amy over.

“Got any hot stock tips for me?” she asked the brunette. 

“Not really, just trying to save for med school.” Taylor gave her a confused look.

“Why would you ever need to go to med school?” she asked. Amy sighed.

“Being a doctor makes it easier, legally, for me to use my powers.” she offered. Taylor could tell Amy wasn’t all that interested in going to med school.

“Is that what you want?” Taylor asked.

“I…” Amy began, but before she could respond, they were plunged into darkness. Taylor reached out with her bugs, but still sensed nothing. A minute later, the darkness dissipated and formed a barrier around the exits. Looking around, she saw that there were three people there that hadn’t been there before.

A large man in motorcycle leathers and an ornate Japanese demon mask stood in front of the doors, black smoke curling off of him to form the clouds covering the walls. Another young man stood near the center of the concourse, holding a scepter. He had curly black hair and wore a silver crown and a white mask. He wore a ruffled shirt and black leggings tucked into boots.

But the most striking figure was the woman crouching on a kiosk. She wore a black domino mask, which blended with her darker skin. Her black trenchcoat fluttered to reveal a black leather bodysuit. And she had a crossbow leveled at one of the customers. Taylor glared. She knew who the woman was.

Sophia Hess. Shadow Stalker. Taylor’s worst nightmare.

* * *

As Taylor lay next to her mom and Lisa on the floor, she looked around for Amy and Victoria.

“Where are they?” she asked Lisa as the curly-haired man walked over. He gestured to Lisa.

“The boss wants to see you, Miss Wilbourn.” he drawled. Lisa got up and walked over as the curly-haired man put a hand on her shoulder. He steered her over to Shadow Stalker.

  
  


**_Lisa_ **

Lisa stared Shadow Stalker down as the former Ward smiled at her contemptuously.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here? The little tattletale who ruined me, at my mercy.” she gloated. Lisa groaned.

“Shadow Stalker, if you’re going to kill me, just do it. I really don’t want to have to listen to you.” Shadow Stalker laughed. She leaned in towards Lisa.

“I’m not going to kill you, Lisa.” she whispered. “When I’m through with you, you’re gonna wish you were, though.” She turned to the curly-haired cape. 

“That’s a confusingly-worded sentence.” Lisa chided. Shadow Stalker turned to glare at her, then turned back to the curly-haired cape.

“Regent, do what we said.” The cape blanched.

“Shadow, I’m not doing that. It’s horrible.” He crossed his arms.

“Regent, do it, or I activate my little fail-safe.” Shadow Stalker growled. Regent sighed and turned to Lisa. She desperately reached out with her power.

_ French-Canadian, abused as a child, hiding from someone. Regrets doing this.  _

Then everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to comment, kudo, and subscribe


	17. Larceny 3.2

**_Heberta_** Saturday, February 5, 2011

Herberta was assuring the bank manager that the Protectorate would be able to escort their armored truck, when the lights flickered. She turned to the manager.

“You’ve paid the power bill, right?” she asked. The manager nodded.

“Stay here.” she said, drawing her pistol. 

Herberta stepped into the hallway between the office and the concourse. The door was blocked by a wall of smokey blackness. She returned to the office. 

“We’re gonna go out the window, then go get help.” she told the manager.

  
  


After escaping the bank, Herberta circled around to the front parking lot. She saw the darkness blocking the front door, and sighed. She pulled out her phone and hit the speed dial.

“Herberta here. I need a PRT unit over here. Some capes robbed the bank I was at.”

She paused, listening to the voice on the other line.

“I know, right? And on my day off, too!”

**_Amy_ **

The minute the darkness enveloped her vision, Amy was ready. She’d been practicing using her power’s senses to develop a map that used people’s nervous systems and their bodies’ static electricity as guideposts. She grabbed Victoria and pulled her through the darkness, navigating the realm of lightning her new sense showed, into the loans office. As they caught their breath, Victoria leaned back against a sofa. 

“Just our luck, huh, Ames?” she sighed.  _ She looks really cute in that top… Stop that, Amy,  _ she thought.

“Yeah, now what do we do, Vicky?” Amy asked. Victoria smiled brightly.

“We kick these guy’s asses.”

**_Taylor_ **

Taylor gasped as Lisa emotionlessly put on a vest lined with explosives. She stood in the middle of the concourse as Shadow Stalker shouted at the hostages.

“Shut up, everyone!” she screamed. Taylor focused as bugs covered her and pulled her into the darkness. She closed her eyes and began looking through her bugs. Taking in everything she could see, she smiled.  _ Game on, bitch,  _ she thought.

**_Amy_ **

As Victoria braced herself against a desk, ready to fly into the concourse, Amy noticed a swarm of bugs forming nearby. She waved Victoria over, who scowled and came over to look at the swarm.

“Great, now we’ve got a bug Master to deal with, too.” she complained. 

_ Victoria, I love you in a way that may not be entirely appropriate, but you are a beautiful idiot sometimes. Don’t you read the PRT briefings?  _ In response, the bugs rearranged themselves into words. 

-Actually, I’m on your side. It’s Taylor Hebert.- they said. Victoria frowned.

“I think the PRT misspelled your last name in their briefing.” she said. “They added an ‘r’.”

-Common mistake.- the bugs spelled out. -Now listen, I heard your plan. It’s good, but I have a better one.-

“I’m all ears.” Victoria said skeptically.

-Here’s what I’m thinking…- the bugs began forming a diagram of Taylor’s plan. Amy smiled.

“Well, it’s better than Victoria’s.” she admitted.


	18. Larceny 3.3

**_Taylor_** Saturday, February 5, 2011

Taylor felt weird. Creating a body out of bugs was the hardest use of her power yet. She made the body fall apart in front of Victoria and Amy. Amy smiled and gave the bugs a thumbs up.

“That’s better. I think we’re almost there.” Amy said. It had been nearly three hours since Taylor had explained her plan, and the main problem was their lack of numbers. Taylor had amassed a sizable swarm, and Amy had asked if she could make people out of the bugs. Taylor admitted she didn’t know. Amy suggested she try, as “We could use the bodies.” After a couple of tries, she’d gotten the hang of it. 

“Alright, a couple more tries, then we move.” Victoria said. Amy nodded.

**_Herberta_ **

Herberta stood outside the bank, surrounded by PRT SUV’s and troopers checking their weapons. One of the troopers came up to her, the patch on his flak vest indicating a squad commander’s rank.

“Special Agent Baker, everyone is ready for action. We’re ready to move on your word.” Herberta smiled.

“Let’s find out who we’re dealing with, first. Maybe we end this without anyone getting shot with a beanbag.” she said.

The squad commander handed her a cell phone. “Bank’s phone is loaded, all you need to do is call,” he explained. Herberta dialed and put the phone on speaker.

**_Amy_ **

Amy strode out onto the concourse. Shadow Stalker turned and leveled a crossbow at her. Amy put her hands up.

“Easy there. I’m Panacea, from New Wave. I’d like to offer myself in exchange for everyone here. I’m a much more valuable hostage.” Shadow Stalker appeared to consider the offer, when one of the phones at the teller’s station rang. Everyone jumped, and Shadow Stalker swung her crossbow in an arc around the concourse.

“Stay where you are!” she shouted. 

Amy felt someone shove her to the ground. She turned and saw the cape in the oni mask pull her up roughly. 

“I’m Grue. Don’t do anything stupid.” He led her over to where Lisa was standing, next to the cape with the crown and scepter. The cape waved.

“I’m Regent, and I’ll be your hostage-taker for today. I do have the ability to take control of your body, which I have used on Lisa here. She will shoot you in the chest if you try anything. But for now, we can sit and talk. I’ve released Lisa’s head from my control.” 

“Fuck you.” Lisa spat.

“Suit yourself.” Regent said, and Lisa’s face slackened.

“Now let’s see what Lisa’s power can tell me about you.” Regent smiled as Lisa turned and stared at her.

**_Herberta_ **

Herberta heard Shadow Stalker’s throaty voice on the other end.

“Who the fuck is this?” Herberta sighed.

“Shadow Stalker. Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” she muttered.

“Not the best tone to take with a hostage-taker, Herbie.” Shadow Stalker said mockingly.

“Just try to be civil, Shadow Stalker. Now, since it’s about lunch time, what do you say to Taco Bell?”

**_Amy_ **

“Oh, this is fun. Lisa, why you don’t take advantage of this ability is beyond me. I guess you don’t… Argh!” Regent groaned as he clutched his head.

“That’s why, dumbass.” Lisa ground out between gasps of pain. Regent chuckled.

“It wasn’t a total waste. See, I learned a lot about you, Amy. And, turns out we’ve got a lot in common. Supervillain dad, baggage about our powers, neither of us is straight. I could go on. But I guarantee you don’t want me to.” He smiled.

“Get ready for the world to learn your darkest secrets, Amelia.”

**_Taylor_ **

-Now-

Taylor’s bug-form leapt from the darkness in tandem with Victoria. Victoria slammed into the masked cape, knocking him to the ground. 

The darkness vanished, and the bank plunged into chaos.

Everyone ran for the exits. Shadow Stalker aimed her crossbow at the fleeing crowds, but before she could fire, Taylor’s bug-form slammed into her. Shadow Stalker whipped around, leaving herself open to a straight punch from Taylor.

“Argh!” she groaned. She paused, finally getting a good look at her assailant.

“Hebert?”


	19. Larceny 3.4

**_Amy_** Saturday, February 5, 2011

“W-w-what?” Amy stammered.  _ He knows about Vicky,  _ she thought. 

“Please don’t.” she begged Regent. Before he could say anything, Victoria shot over, pinning Regent to the wall.

“Just give me a reason, scumbag.” she growled. Regent chuckled.

“I wouldn’t, not unless you want me to spill all of Amy’s darkest secrets. You’ll never look at your sister the same way again.” he said in a sing-songy tone.

“What?” Victoria asked, confused, but not loosening her grip.

“Fine, I’ll give you a freebie. I’ll tell you who Amy’s daddy is.” he giggled. “You’ll recognize the name.” He paused.

“Marquis.” he said as Amy choked back a sob.

Victoria’s grip slackened as she looked over to Amy.

“Ames, you okay?” she asked. Amy nodded through tears. Victoria knew she was sensitive about her biological father, and would always check on her when it came up.

“Huh, didn’t have as much oomph as I thought.” Regent remarked. “But revelation number two is really hilarious, makes me want to laugh myself sick. You’ve probably figured out Amy likes girls, but have you ever stopped to ask which girl she likes?” Regent drawled, slipping from Victoria’s grasp.

“Ever wonder why Amy sticks to you like glue, why she heals all those lowlifes you accidentally brutalized, why she spends so much time with you?” Amy gave him a pleading look. He ignored her, looking Victoria in the eye.

“Because Amy, my dear Victoria, thinks she’s in love with you.” Amy choked back a sob. Victoria turned to look at her. She had a confused expression.

“Amy,” she asked, “Is this true?” Regent continued on as Amy began to hyperventilate. He turned to face Victoria.

“And the best part? Amy hates herself for this, when really, she should be mad at you. Your awe-aura, the one she’s been regularly exposed to since you triggered? It gave her the same boost of dopamine as cocaine or heroin would. You got her hooked on you!” Regent collapsed into a fit of giggles. “Which makes Amy the naive girl who fell in love with her dealer! It’s fucking hilarious!” He turned and strode off, leaving the sisters standing there in shock. A moment later, Lisa collapsed to the ground like a broken marionette.

Victoria turned white.

“Amy, if this is true, I’ll fix this.” She said, stepping back. Amy had sunken to the floor in a fetal position.  _ She knows, she hates me, she thinks I’m disgusting, she never wants to see me again…  _ Everything around her began to get blurry and indistinct as she dimly realized she was having a panic attack.

**_Taylor_ **

Taylor threw another punch at Shadow Stalker, who caught it and bent her wrist so hard she dropped to the floor in pain. When she could see again, she realized she was staring down the barrel, so to speak, of Shadow Stalker’s crossbow.

“Good night, Hebert.” Before she could pull the trigger, she jerked and spasmed, falling to the ground in a heap. Behind her, the cape with the scepter gave an impish smile. He waved his scepter.

“Good riddance.” he remarked. “Anyways, I’m Regent, I’d like you to give this to Amy when she comes out of her…” he paused, handing her a scrap of paper, and glanced over at the girl curled up on the floor. “...whatever the hell that is. She could use a friendly ear” He grabbed Shadow Stalker by one arm and dragged her towards the back exit. Taylor was so bemused by what had happened that it wasn’t until Regent had left that she remembered she should probably have tried to arrest him.

Taylor got to her feet and ran over to Lisa. Her bugs swarmed up the blonde’s legs and got to work, chewing at the wiring until the bomb was non-functional. Lisa pulled the vest off as Taylor reached her. Taylor wrapped Lisa in a hug, lifting her off the ground.

“Oh thank God you’re safe.” she told the blonde.

“Same to you, sweetie.” Lisa replied. She looked over at Victoria, who was making a point to stay away from Amy. 

“What’s that about?” she asked.

**_Herberta_ **

As the PRT interviewed and assisted all the former hostages, Herberta searched the throngs until she found Dani, wrapped in a blanket.

“Hey, stranger.” she greeted the other woman bashfully.

“Well, hello Mrs. PRT big-shot.” Dani replied, smiling at her. “Are Taylor and Lisa alright?”

“Yeah, but the Dallon sisters are another story. Neither of them will say what happened, but they refuse to be within ten feet of one another.”

“Maybe they’re a little shell-shocked from a traumatic experience. Call them and ask if they want to talk about it to someone.” Dani suggested.

“You know, you’re really insightful for a union rep.” Herberta observed.

“I also do HR, which is where I picked most of this up.”

“Well, I’m sorry about us not getting to do lunch. Care for a taco?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to say that the perspective Regent voices is what I think is the most realistic interpretation of Amy's relationship with Victoria.


	20. Interlude 3.a Victoria

Victoria sat down on Amy’s bed beside her. Amy hadn’t spoken a word since the bank. She’d told her mom that Amy was just tired and needed to get some sleep.

“Amy?” she asked. “I need you to talk to me. Why did you never say anything?” Her aura began to flare, but she tamped it down instantly. Amy turned to look at her.

“Because I thought you’d hate me.” she answered. “Because I’m your sister. And it’s not really an easy thing to talk about.”

“Amy, I know you know you’re adopted. Since you found out, I never expected you to see me as a sister. I didn’t expect a crush, though. That was a curveball. And I never thought that my aura was affecting you that way, if I had I would have…” Before she could finish, Amy interrupted her.

“Shut up!” she yelled, “You want to know why I liked you? It wasn’t because of some stupid aura, it was because you were nice to me. You didn’t judge me because of my dad, like Carol. You were supportive and kind, like a good sister. You were the one decent person in a house full of fear and judgement. How could I not fall in love with the hot girl who was nice and sweet and didn’t think I was going to be a supervillain?” She sobbed. 

Victoria patted her shoulder.

“Ames, I know I don’t feel the same way about you, but it’s okay. I’m not afraid you’re going to do anything to me. We might need to set some boundaries, like I’m not going to change in front of you anymore, but I’m not going to shun you.” Amy groaned.

“You changing in front of me was both a dream come true and a special kind of hell.” she admitted.

“And I know better than to ask about what I’ve done in your dreams.” Victoria replied. Amy blushed.

“Yeah, good call. I kinda want to avoid you judging me.” she said. 

“But you should really see someone and talk about this.” Victoria said. “If that guy was right, I might have caused you to be dependent on me. I really don’t think that’s healthy, for either of us. I’m going to get something to block my aura, but you could use someone else to talk to about this in the meantime. It isn’t healthy to bottle it up. Could you at least talk to Dean?” Amy laughed. 

“Great idea, Victoria. Talk to your boyfriend about how I would like to have sex with his girlfriend, no way that could end badly.” she said sarcastically.

“Okay, bad idea, realized as soon as I said it. But, please Amy, talk to someone. You shouldn’t have to do this alone.” Amy sighed.

“ I know, I know. I will. Right now I just can’t believe you’re taking this so well. I’m worried I’m dreaming, and that I’ll wake up and you actually hate me.” she admitted.

“I don’t.” Victoria said firmly, “Plus, it’s nice to know you think I’m hot. Makes setting up dates for you easier, now that I know your type.” Amy turned red. 

“Victoria, if you try to have a double date with some blonde supermodel, I will tell you my torrid sexual fantasies.” she threatened. Victoria laughed.

“Alright, alright. Sorry I offered.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Thanks for not hating me.”

* * *

  
  


Once Amy was asleep, Victoria pulled out her phone and called Dean.

_“What’s up? I heard about the bank.”_ he said.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Listen, did you ever get the sense that Amy had a crush on me?” she asked. After a long pause, Dean answered.

_“Shit. You found out.”_ he said. _“Please tell me you didn’t get mad.”_

“You knew?” she asked, a hint of anger in her voice. Why the hell would he keep a secret like this from her?

_“Yeah. Why do think Amy never seemed to like me? She was jealous.”_

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, hearing Dean sigh over the phone.

_“Wasn’t my place to tell. Having a crush on your adoptive sister is the sort of thing that can destroy a family. Besides, Amy already resented me for being with you. I didn’t want to be the reason your relationship fell apart.”_ Victoria sighed.

“Did you really think that little of me? I’ve been standing up for Amy since we were kids. Why would her being in love with me change that?”

_“I don’t know, maybe because you might have worried she’d done something while you were asleep. I know she used her powers to spy on us at least once.”_

“You really think I would fall into that ‘predatory lesbian cliche’ trap?”

_“I was afraid you’d get pissed and say something you didn’t mean in the heat of the moment. You can be impulsive.”_ Dean pointed out. Victoria scowled.

“Fine. Maybe you had good reasons for not telling me, but I’m still pissed.”

_“Totally fair.”_

“I want you to talk to her, help her deal with this.” she said.

_“You do remember the part that she resents me because I get to be with you and all she has are sexual fantasies and lingering shame and guilt? I can’t stress how terrible of an idea this would be. Can’t you talk Carol into getting a therapist?”_ he asked.

“Nope. Carol refuses to let anyone in New Wave go to therapy. Says that it would damage the team’s reputation.”

_“Of course she did. Fine, I’ll do it, but only if she agrees to it. I have better things to do than sit in silence while she silently resents me.”_

“Thank you.” Victoria said gratefully. “I just want to help her.”

_“I know.”_

“I love you.”

_“I love you too. ‘Night.”_

“Good night.”


	21. Interlude 3.b-Dinah

Dinah sat on the bed as she pondered her situation. She’d known the odds were good that she’d be kidnapped as soon as someone found out about her powers. All she could do now is obfuscate how they worked. She knew from her research that most Thinkers got headaches from using their powers too much, but she knew she didn’t have that problem. So she had pretended to have a headache after Coil had asked her questions for an hour. He had called a doctor who had given her an injection that he said would help with headaches.

_ Likelihood she’d become addicted to the treatments: 87.963% _

  
But she could work around that. If there was one advantage she had dealing with an addiction, it was her powers.

_ Likelihood she’d be able to recover from her addiction: 90.769% _

Coil had said that no one was coming for her. What he didn’t know was that she had left a note at home telling her parents to let Herberta Baker know she’d been kidnapped.

_ Likelihood they’d tell Herberta Baker what happened: 56.125% _

_ Likelihood Herberta would find out anyway: 99.479% _

_ Likelihood she’d be rescued if Herberta was involved: 100.000% _

It was strange that her power had absolute confidence in this woman, but Dinah trusted her abilities.

It was the only thing she could trust right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to put this when I posted and no one noticed, but Dinah's powers are different than in canon, and there is a big reason why that is.
> 
> Dinah is now a pre- and post-cog who has none of the other limits that Thinkers have(Migraines, can't use against entities or Endbringers, gets false info from other thinkers) Her rating would be somewhere around Thinker 13 or 14.


	22. Ramifications 4.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, a couple notes on Herbie's relationship with New Wave
> 
> -Sarah and Carol helped her with the legal issues of unmasking.
> 
> -Sarah always invites Herbie to a monthly girls night with Carol but almost always cancels, mainly because she doesn't want to deal with Carol.
> 
> Also, content warning for alcoholism, mild(but insidious) homophobia and implied verbal abuse. (Carol fucking sucks.)

**_Herberta_** Saturday, February 12, 2011

Herberta sat at the bar, waiting for Carol. The Dallon matriarch had been invaluable in helping Herberta navigate the legalities of unmasking herself, all those years ago. They’d chosen this bar to meet up, and continued the tradition every month, despite Herberta’s reservations. As Carol came in and sat down beside her, Herberta took a sip of her drink.

“Hey Carol, why the long face?” she asked, seeing the frustrated expression on Carol’s face.

“My children are misbehaving. Amy just admitted to being attracted to my daughter, and when I expressed concern, Victoria, of all people, jumped down my throat!” Carol groused as she sipped the beer she’d ordered.

“Given your personality, I’m guessing it’s because you called Amy’s crush a ‘depravity’ or ‘deviancy’, and Victoria clearly disagrees.” Herberta offered. Carol scowled.

“I don’t know what’s worse, that I let that pervert live under my roof, or that Victoria is enabling her.” Herberta groaned. She’d known Carol wasn’t the best of parents for years, but it always seemed that the lawyer always surprised her with how hopelessly inept she was. She’d nearly called CPS, several times, but stpped because she could never tell whether Carol’s actions were the result of a poorly-implemented hard-ass parenting style or actual neglect or abuse.

“Carol, I say this with respect, but has it ever occurred to you that you might be the problem?” she asked. “Your attitude towards Amy is probably why she never told you about it in the first place. I mean,” she asked, “Did you even know she was gay?” Carol frowned.

“Maybe you’re biased, because of your… inclinations.” she replied, the accusation clear. Herberta scowled.

“Homophobia isn't a good color on you, Carol.” she said, her voice tinged with anger.

“I’m hardly a homophobe, Herberta.” Carol retorted, sounding offended. Herberta grumbled.  _ Close still counts when it comes to prejudice,  _ she thought acidly.

“I just remembered something, Carol, and I’ve got to go.” She said tartly as she got up and left. “But I’ll see if Taylor or Lisa have an idea what’s going on.”

**_Amy_ **

Amy sat down in the booth, across from Dean. While she’d thought it was a horrible idea, Carol had refused to pay for her to see anyone, so Vicky had suggested she talk to Dean while Vicky tried to figure out how to pay for therapy.

She looked across the table at Dean. She had resented him for so long, and she was sure he knew it. This couldn’t possibly end well. After about five minutes, he broke the silence

“So, Vicky filled me in on the situation, but to be honest, I wasn’t surprised.” he said. “I always got a codependent vibe off you regarding her. I want you to know, I’m not angry or disgusted with you. I just want to help you deal with whatever you’re feeling.” Amy sighed. “I’d also like to emphasize that I’m not a therapist, just someone who is here for you if you want to talk about stuff.”

“You know, I used to hate you, ‘cause you got to be with Vicky, and I didn’t. Still do, at least a little bit.” she whispered. Dean laughed.

“That’s fair, but I always admired how Vicky cared about you. She always knew I could take care of myself, but she always had this maternal instinct towards you.” Amy groaned.

“Great, now you made my crush seem more creepy, something I didn’t think was possible.” Dean smacked his forehead.

“Guess I really stuck my foot in it, huh?” he admitted sheepishly. “You know what? Maybe we could talk about Vicky, since we have that in common.” Amy smiled. If he was going to pretend to care about this, she’d make it as uncomfortable as possible.

“Alright, what’s the weirdest sex dream you’ve had involving her?” she asked. Dean turned red.

“Fine, you asked. I once had a dream where Vicky was in a dominatrix outfit and she beat me with a ping-pong paddle. That’s the last time I eat Taco Bell before bed.” Amy laughed. Maybe he was sincere.

“I’ve got you beat, I had one where she was dressed up like Miss Militia and used a riding crop.”

Dean chuckled. “Bet that was a fun one.” he said. Amy’s face fell.

“If your idea of fun is waking up in a cold sweat with a lingering sense of shame and painfully aroused, then sure, it’s fun.” she said bitterly. Dean cringed.

“Didn’t think about that, sorry.” he said. Amy sighed.

“It’s fine.” she said. “It’s just… I’ve never talked about this before, and… I’m still getting over all the shame I’ve been feeling.” Dean smiled.

“I can tell. But I think it’s important that you talk to someone about this. Otherwise, the stress and shame’ll build up until you snap and do something you regret. If you ever need to talk, Victoria has my number.” Dean got up. “And hey, I’ll walk you home.”

“Thanks.” As they made their way out of the restaraunt, Amy turned to Dean.

“I figured you knew I was in love with Vicky, given your powers, but why did you never say anything?” she asked.

“Wasn’t my secret to tell.” Dean replied. “And… I knew you resented me and I didn’t want to add to that.”

“I was the biggest threat to your relationship. If I were in your shoes, I definitely would have told her.” Amy said. “And you didn’t because you didn’t want me to dislike you more?”

“Yeah. If I have one flaw, it’s that I want people to like me. Comes with being a rich kid.”

“So that’s why you always reminded me of a politician. Trying to avoid rocking the boat.” Amy said. Dean shrugged.

“As far as flaws go, it’s not the worst. I could be a malignant narcissist.” he replied. “Plus, it’s not easy knowing how people feel all the time. Especially when you can never tell what’s making them feel that way. Non-interference seemed like the best policy.”

“Then why help me?” Amy asked. “Like you said, you aren’t a therapist, and your powers aren’t going to tell why I’m feeling what I feel. Why risk making things worse?”

“Because Vicky asked me to, and she wants to help you.” Dean answered. “I love her and this is important to her.”

“I get that.”

“It’s the only thing we have in common.” Dean mused.

“So you’re sincerely willing to listen?”

“Yeah. You don’t even have to talk about Vicky. You can bitch about all the assholes you heal or something. Just don’t be afraid to talk to me about stuff with Vicky.”

“And you won’t tell her?”

“Unless you’re planning to make a suit out of her skin or something, no.” Dean said dryly. “It would be stuff two friends talked about and obviously nothing that would be at all interesting to Vicky.” As they reached the Dallon house, Dean stood there.

“Just think about it.” he asked.

“I will.” Amy said, and surprisingly, she meant it.


	23. Ramifications 4.2

**_Taylor_** Sunday, February 13, 2011

“So we’re doing this, why?” Taylor asked Lisa as they approached the restaurant.

“Herberta made a promise in anger, and I see her as a mother, so…” Lisa explained.

“She sees you as more of a little sister.” Taylor replied with a chuckle.

Taylor had worn a sundress she’d last worn to a wedding a few years ago, while Lisa wore a pastel pink suit. Lisa hadn’t been sure what to wear for brunch, but Dani had helped, citing her “many gay friends” as experience. They entered the restaurant and the host showed them to a table where Victoria and Amy were already seated. Victoria was in a magenta wrap dress while Amy wore a silk shirt and jeans. Amy waved nervously.

Lisa sat down across from Victoria. “Full disclosure, your mother might have had something to do with this meeting.” Amy groaned.

“Oh my God!” she complained, putting her head in her hands. “Ever since I came out, Carol’s been paranoid I’m going to molest her real daughter while she sleeps.” Victoria cringed.

“It hasn’t been good.” she admitted. “Amy and Mom have been fighting all the time now. Turns out my mom’s a little homophobic, who knew?” Lisa snorted.

“I could have told you that. Then again, I’m the one who listens to Herbie complain about it.” she said. Taylor looked over at her.

“Why would Herbie hang out with someone like that?” she asked. Amy chuckled.

“Carol’s only friendly to Herbie because she unmasked. She still thinks Herbie’s the first of many new heroes who will unmask. Plus, Aunt Sarah needs someone to deal with Carol every once in a while so she doesn’t strangle her.” she said mockingly. Taylor gave Lisa a questioning look. Lisa shrugged and nodded, confirming Amy’s statement.

“Didn’t Herbie unmask, like, eight years ago?” Taylor asked. Amy smiled.

“And now you see why Carol is being delusional.” she said smugly. Taylor chuckled.

“I’m sure we didn’t come here to bitch about Vicky’s mom,” Lisa interjected. “Let’s order.”

**_Amy_ **

Amy sat down across from Dean at Fugly Bob’s.

“You came for a second session.” he said with a smile. Amy smiled back.

“Well, it turns out you’re really easy to talk to.” she replied with a chuckle. “I just got back from brunch with Lisa and Taylor, so I don’t think I could eat another bite.”

Dean smiled. “More for me, then. Victoria told me things have been getting worse with Carol.”

Amy sighed. “I always knew that Carol didn’t like having me there, but it’s gotten to the point where it’s become hostile. It seems like she’ll never see me as anything more than Marquis’ daughter.” Dean frowned at the mention of the supervillain.

“That’s true? I always thought it was some bullshit story to make New Wave look good.”

Amy smiled bitterly. “No, it’s true alright.” she said. “I barely even remember him, why would she think I’d be like him?”

Dean pondered a moment, then said, “In my psychology class, there is the question of nature versus nurture in regards to behavior. From what you’ve told me, Carol seems to fall on the nature side; that our parents and genetics make us who we are. I fall more on the nurture side; how we were raised determines our personality and character.” He paused. “Though I don’t think that really makes the odds any better. I’d be hard-pressed to describe your upbringing as ‘nurturing’.” 

Amy chuckled. “So you’re saying I’m doomed to be a villain?” she asked.

“Hardly. I think you always have a choice. If you don’t want to be a villain, you don’t have to be.”

Amy frowned. “And what if you had a power that could only be used to its full potential in a villainous way?” she asked. Dean frowned.

“How so?” Amy swallowed nervously.

“Say you had a power that could rewrite someone’s brain so they felt the same way about you as you felt about them.” she answered hesitantly. Dean gave her a surprised look.

“Are you saying your power works on brains?” he whispered. Amy nodded.

“Well, I would say that using your power that way would be a bad idea.” he said. “But you could use that power to help people with brain-related problems. Like say, an adoptive father’s depression.”

“But what if I screw it up?” she asked, anxiety deepening.

“Then you screwed up with someone’s brain. You made mistakes with your powers before, right?”

“I did cause that tumor one time.”

“Did you learn from it?”

“Yeah. I figured out what had gone wrong and looked out for it so it didn’t happen again. But that was with bodies. If I screw up fixing their brains, who knows what could happen?” 

“Then practice. Does your power work on animals?” He asked.

“Yeah, it works on any living tissue.”

“Then get some lab rats and practice making changes, then undoing them. The only way you’ll get better is with practice.” he told her.

“Rat brains are a far cry from human brains.” she protested.

“Hey, it’s better than nothing.” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “And maybe, you could take a break from healing. Last semester, my class did a unit on psychological burnout. It’s not a crime to take a break.” 

“It is when you can cure cancer.” Amy said glumly. Dean frowned.

“Legend takes vacations. So does Artificer. Remember when she went to Sri Lanka?”

“Didn’t she end up getting into a fight with the Thanda?”

“She’s from Boston, and I’ve seen her get into a fight at Macy's. The point is, she knows when to take a break from what she’s doing to recharge. No one would fault you for doing the same.”

“I would.” Amy muttered.

“Well, that’s unhealthy. You shouldn’t be a hero at the expense of your own needs.”

“That’s what Carol does.”

“And we’ve established that Carol is not a role model. There’s other ways to be a hero.” Amy pinched the bridge of her nose.

“So you’re saying my entire idea of heroism is wrong and unhealthy?”

“Just a little. Being a hero does mean risking your life, but you’re allowed to recover. Every time the Wards get in a cape fight, we see a shrink afterwards. Make sure we’re okay to go back into horribly dangerous situations again. Again, you should really consider seeing a therapist. I am really not cut out for this.”

“Carol won’t let me. Says that it would damage New Wave’s credibility if a member was seen in therapy.” Dean was silent for a minute, then said in a quieter voice.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t be a member of New Wave.”


	24. Ramifications 4.3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for what could be called a hate crime.

**_Herberta_** Monday, February 14, 2011

As Victoria continued her explanation of what she thought had happened, Herberta let her power take over, analyzing the information of the young woman’s power.

_ It doesn’t affect anyone in her family, but it does affect Amy, how? There were rumors about Carol having an affair with Neil Pelham, which would explain the Pelhams also being immune. Aha! Their natural Breaker powers that prevent them from being damaged by their own powers protects their brains from her aura. Amy got her powers from Marquis, so she wouldn’t have that immunity. This whole thing happened because of a couple of mistaken assumptions. _

“So what can we do? I don’t want to force Amy to be around me.” Victoria finished. 

“I figured out the problem,” Herberta told her. “The rest of your family’s natural resistance to their own powers blocked out your aura, but since Amy got her powers from her father, she didn’t get the immunity. All we have to do is build something that blocks your aura that’s small enough for Amy to wear.” She smiled.

“I think I can have something built by the weekend.”

**_Taylor_** Wednesday, February 16, 2011

“Did you know Carol Dallon was homophobic?” Taylor asked her mom as they ate dinner. Her mom had made some pasta and breadsticks in a brief hiatus from fast food and pre-cooked meals. Her mom frowned.

“I wouldn’t say I knew, but I wouldn’t have been surprised. She railed against Lustrum when she was Birdcaged, and it always seemed to be a 50-50 split between judgement towards her alleged actions and judgement about her sexuality. Honestly, I never understood why she helped Artificer unmask.”

“Amy says she thinks Herberta is the start of a new group of heroes who don’t hide their identity.” Her mom gave Taylor a confused look.

“Why would she think that? Doesn’t she remember what happened to her when she unmasked?”

“What happened?” Taylor asked her mother.

“Well, when Herberta unmasked, she also took it as an opportunity to come out as a lesbian. Now, she was originally from Indiana, where there’s that branch of the Fallen, the McVeays. The Indianapolis PRT tried to get her parents to a safehouse, but due to a miscommunication, her father didn’t get picked up. He was murdered by a member of the Fallen on his way home from work. Herberta’s mother publicly blamed her for his death. I wouldn’t be surprised if they haven’t spoken since.” 

“That’s horrible.” Taylor said.

“I know. Your mother was pissed at the PRT when she heard. It turned out her dad had just been hired at a new job, and he hadn’t given the PRT the address yet. They had gone to his old workplace to pick him up. The Director at the time hadn’t wanted to cause a panic by ordering a manhunt, so they sent a team to the house to wait. He did everything he could to find out where Herberta’s father was. Annette was more forgiving after that. He resigned after the murder, said he wasn’t worthy of his position. Damn shame, really. If he’d stayed Director, Gary probably wouldn’t be occupied by the Fallen.” Her mom muttered.

“That’s really tragic.”

“Yeah, and there’s rumors her fiance broke off the engagement when she found out.”

“Seems like unmasking ruined her life.” Taylor remarked.

“I’d have to agree with you there. She’s been interviewed dozens of times, but she always refuses to answer any questions about how she feels about unmasking. She actually walked out of a  _ 60 Minutes  _ interview once, just got up and left.” Taylor chuckled.

“Someone’s been Hooli-stalking her.” she teased.

“I have not!” Taylor sighed.

“Mom, it’s been two years. She would have wanted you to move on.” she whispered. Her mom sighed tiredly.

“Honey…” she started.

“You like Herberta, don’t you?” Taylor asked.

“Yes, but…”

“Then what’s stopping you? Is it that you think I won’t approve? Is it because you feel like you’d be cheating on Mom? Is it...” 

“I’M NOT READY TO MOVE ON!” her mom shouted. Silence fell. After a couple of minutes, her mom spoke.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have raised my voice, Taylor.” she took a deep breath.

“Truth is, I’m not ready to date just yet. I’ve tried, but…”

“They all remind you of what you had with mom.” Taylor finished. “Mom, I’m in high school. In less than four years, I’ll probably be leaving home. I don’t want you to be alone.” 

“That’s really not something for you to worry about, sweetie.” her mom told her.

“Yeah, that was mom’s job.” Taylor retorted. Her mom sighed and hung her head.

“It was, wasn’t it?” she groaned and pinched her nose. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have left my office.” she chuckled. “Tell you what, I’ll give it some thought.” 

Taylor smiled.

“That’s all I’m asking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Herbera's dad being killed by a cape was the plan from the begining, but I chose the Fallen because, as a resident of Indiana since I was an infant, I can sadly say that their ideology would find a lot of believers in the state.


	25. Ramifications 4.4

**_Amy_** Saturday, February 19, 2011

“... and I am perfectly okay with sharing a bathroom with Amy, so I don’t see how it’s any of your business.” Victoria shouted at her mother as Amy tried to eat her cereal.

“You still live under my roof, and what I say goes! Mark, back me up here!” Carol shouted back. Mark gave Amy an apologetic look and shook his head.

“Don’t bring me into this.” After lunch with Dean, Amy had asked Mark if she could try fixing his depression. He’d agreed, on the condition that she tell the PRT if it worked. She’d created a gland that produced a personalized cocktail of antidepressants and introduced them into his bloodstream and told him to get a good night’s sleep. It wasn’t using her power to its full potential, but it was a start. She’d woken up to him shaking her awake and telling her he hadn’t felt this good in years. As soon as they finished breakfast, they were headed down to the PHQ.

“Amy is a member of this family…” Victoria began.

“Hardly!” Carol muttered. Amy tried to tune out the arguing as she finished her cereal.

* * *

On the drive down to PHQ, Mark sighed as they listened to the news.

“I really am sorry about Carol.” he told Amy as they drove.

“It’s really fine, Mark. I’m used to it by now.” she replied bitterly.

“It’s not okay, Amy. And if you want to see a therapist, I’ll pay for it. I have a little nest egg I can use.” Amy smiled.

“Really?” she asked hopefully.

“Sure, kiddo. Whatever you need.” He smiled and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

  
  


As they entered the PHQ, Amy saw Herberta jumping up and down and waving to them.

“Hi guys!” she called over to them. “I heard Amy had something cool she found out about her powers.” Amy turned red. Herberta cringed.

“Let’s talk in my lab.” she said bashfully.

**_Herberta_ **

Standing in the absolute chaos of her lab, Herberta spread her arms and gestured to the piles of various items and parts.

“Welcome to my home away from home, and where I sleep about four days out of seven.” 

“You don’t sleep.”

“Not the point.” Herberta smiled. “In any case, Amy, I have the aura nullifier Victoria asked me about.” she said, handing Mark a small jewelry box. “I worked with Armsmaster to miniaturize it so I could make it look like a necklace or a charm. You should test it first, though. I used a device that mimics Victoria’s power, but I haven’t tested it against the real thing. If it breaks, I’ll repair it, no charge.” She paused. “I also disclosed the long-term effects of her aura to the PRT. For what it’s worth, I don’t think it created any feelings you had for Victoria, it probably just amplified them. Made you a little obsessive about it when you were near her. The PRT is giving her a Master 1 rating, to account for the long term effects of her aura, mostly just to be safe. I made sure to keep your name out of it.” Amy smiled.

“Thanks.” she said gratefully. “Now, how are we going to figure out if my trick worked?”

“Well, the medical center has an fMRI, and I have a Tinker-made music mix that can induce depression.”

“What?” Amy asked, a confused expression on her face.

“There’s this Tinker/Master rogue up in Boston who can make music mixes that make you feel certain emotions or cause certain feelings. She works as a DJ and has this great date night mix.”

“How did you get her to do this?”

“Well, I used to sleep with her, so I just asked, explained that we were testing a theory. Her only condition was I destroy the file so the Army doesn’t get their hands on it.”

“Sounds reasonable.” Herberta smiled and made for the door.

“Yeah. If we start soon, I can have you two outta here by lunchtime.”

**_Amy_ **

As Mark lay in the fMRI, listening to Herberta’s ex’s music, Amy turned to the Tinker and asked.

“Why do you go on vacation when there’s so much you could be doing to help?” Herberta chuckled a little at the question, then replied.

“Because, I’m no good to anyone burnt out and overworked.”

“But all your recent vacations have involved cape stuff.” Amy pointed out.

“True, but in those cases, I wasn’t involved as Artificer, PRT and Protectorate member. I was just Herberta, Tinker on vacation. If I wanted to kick a member of the Thanda in the balls, I could do that and then go back to eating Indian food.” She paused. “I could have left whenever I wanted. Why do you ask?”

“Because I’m thinking of taking a break from being Panacea. I’ve been so busy helping everyone else that I forgot to think about taking care of myself. I need to figure some stuff out before I start healing again. Maybe learn how to use my powers for something else.” 

“Good call. Burning yourself out is a real problem. God knows I’ve had to keep Armsmaster from doing it. Where are you thinking of going? I know how to get cheap airfare.” Herberta asked.

“I was thinking of Ellisburg.”  _ What better way to test my powers than using them against Nilbog’s creations?  _ Amy thought. Herberta made a face.

“ A working holiday, huh.” she mused. “I might have some trouble getting you there,” she said, “but I like your style.”

“Thanks.” Amy smiled.  _ It’s nice to have someone who believes in me,  _ she thought.

“You’re clearly insane, but I like your style.”

  
“Thanks… I think?”  _ Or maybe not... _


	26. Interlude 4.a-Herberta

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning for a homophobic slur, general homophobia and abusive parenting

Herberta sat at the bar, wondering why the hell she had agreed to this. She was shaken from her thoughts as Carol stormed into the bar and sat down beside her. Carol ordered a drink and started gulping it down.

“My children are impossible. Victoria won’t speak to me, and Amy has run away with some absurd goal of killing Nilbog.” she sighed as she finished her drink.

“ ‘Hi Herberta, how was your day?’ Asshole.” Herberta muttered under her breath, realizing exactly why Sarah always ditched these meetings. Carol didn’t hear her, or if she did, she ignored her. Carol got another drink.

“In any case, Mark has taken Amy’s side. He purchased a bus ticket for her to get as close to Ellisburg as possible.” Carol finished her drink.

“It’s like I’m not even here.” Herberta muttered.

“And Victoria has become a delinquent. She refuses to stay away from Amy. It’s like she’s been Mastered.” Carol continued, ignoring Herberta. She finished another drink. Herberta took a deep breath before replying.

“Carol, shut the fuck up.” Herberta said firmly. “You’re the worst parent I’ve ever seen, and I’m including Rachel Lindt’s bitch of a stepmother in that assessment. You’ve all but told Amy for years that she was going to become a villain. She hates herself because of it, and the moment she comes to you asking for help, you call her a deviant. Do you even realize how hurtful that could be, given her situation?” Herberta blinked back tears as she tore into the blonde.

“I never…” she began, before Herberta interrupted her.

“Shut up! Victoria obviously has no problem with Amy being in love with her, so why don’t you just trust your daughter’s judgement for once in your GODDAMN LIFE and let her handle this?”

Carol gave her a horrified look.

“How dare you tell me how to parent my daughter, you…” She said slowly. Herberta interrupted her.

“Think very carefully about what you say next, Carol.” Herberta warned, standing up. Carol stood up as well, staggering tipsily.

“Amy’s a pervert, but I don’t understand why Victoria is defending her.” she said slowly, pointing shakily at Herberta. “You, I know why. You want her to be like you, flitting from woman to woman.”

“So finally, the mask falls! Geez, no wonder Amy never felt safe at home.” Herberta retorted.

“I gave her a home! It was more than she deserved, that spawn of Marquis.” Carol snarled. Herberta snorted.

“Oh my God! Get over it! It wasn’t his fault Fleur died! You’re the only one still holding a grudge.” she told Carol. Carol staggered back as if she’d been struck.

“Don’t you tell me how to grieve, you dyke! If I recall, you never cried at your father’s funeral.” Carol said acidly. Herberta blinked back tears.

“FUCK YOU!” she screamed. At this point, the bartender was cowering behind the bar. “I loved my father! I didn’t cry because I was trying to put on a fucking brave face, you insensitive bitch! That was the worst day of my life! And it’s ALL YOUR FAULT!” Carol looked like she’d been slapped.

“You used that twenty-seven year-old to advance your stupid cause, and my dad paid for it with his life. You took advantage of a naive young woman who wanted a clean break, and you never owned up to it. You thought I’d be the poster girl for your movement?” Herberta asked, voice dripping with contempt.

“The modicum of respect I have for Sarah is the only reason I’ve never answered any questions about unmasking, because then I’d tell them it was the biggest mistake I ever made!”

Herberta slammed the door before she could see Carol’s reaction. 


	27. Interlude 4.b-Dani

Annette Rose Hebert

1969-2008

Beloved Wife, Mother, Teacher

“She taught something precious to all of us.”

Dani stood at her wife’s grave, a bouquet in one hand. It had been nearly a year since she’d visited the cemetery. It always hurt to visit, but this time felt more painful than usual.

“Hey, Rosie. How’ve you been?” she whispered. 

_ Not bad, how are you, honey? _

“I’ve been better. Taylor’s a cape. She triggered because I was too busy wallowing in my grief to pay attention to her.” 

_ You don’t get to beat yourself up for grieving. That said, you should have paid attention. _

Dani bowed her head. “I know, believe me.” she said.

_ But it’s great that she’s helping people, just like her moms. Has she done anything special so far? _

“She made Lung’s penis fall off.”

_ So we raised the next Lustrum, then. _

Dani chuckled. “Not quite. It was an accident. Something about an adverse reaction.”

_ How are you doing? I’m sure you’ve met some nice girls.  _

“Funny you should ask. I met Artificer. She’s really nice.”

_ You’ve got all the luck. I may have had a couple of dreams about her. _

“So did I. I think most gay women our age did.”

_ Is she interested in you? _

“Maybe?”

_ Go for it, you dork! She’s awesome! _

“Really? You wouldn’t feel betrayed?”

_ I said until death do us part. I gave up any claim on you when you lowered me down here. You deserve to be happy. _

“I still feel like I’d be betraying you.” Dani admitted.

_ Honey, you always were honorable to a fault. But you deserve to have someone to share your life with, and more importantly, Taylor deserves for you to have someone in your life. Otherwise, she’ll just worry about you when she leaves. You know she’s worried that you’ll be alone and miserable. Plus, if you pass up on a chance to sleep with Artificer, your twenty-four year-old self will never forgive you. _

“Fine, I’ll give it a shot.” Dani smiled thinly.

_ That’s all I’m asking, that you be open to sharing your life with someone new. _

Dani laid the bouquet on the headstone and headed back to her car. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The other fandoms tagged will not be appearing until after Arc 7, the tags are just there as a teaser and discussion topic. I will be glad to hear any theories anyone has for how they fit in.


	28. Combustion 5.1

**_Herberta_** Sunday, February 20, 2011

Herberta walked down the boardwalk beside Dani. It was a nice Sunday afternoon. Children were playing on the beach, business was booming and it was quite warm for February.

“So why did you ask me to meet you here?” she asked. Dani chuckled.

“So I’ve been thinking that it might be time for me to get back out there again and I thought I might…”

“Ask me to give you advice. Good call. I know all the gay bars where you can meet hot women, and possibly have sex in a bathroom stall with said hot women.” Herberta interjected. She grinned sheepishly when Dani raised an eyebrow.

“It only happened once, and it never even made the tabloids. I,” she gestured to herself with one hand, “am a responsible adult, who is able to make rational and mature decisions, even when mildly intoxicated.”

Dani smiled awkwardly.

“Actually, I…” Before she could finish, Dani was thrown into the air as an explosion ripped through the boardwalk. Herberta was thrown across the boardwalk, slamming into a parked car.

_ Fucking Brockton Bay.  _ Herberta thought as she picked herself up off the pavement.

**_Taylor_ **

Taylor rushed into the hospital room, followed by a wheezing Lisa.

“Is my mom alright?” she asked breathlessly. She saw Herberta peer out from behind the privacy curtain, a worried expression on her face. When she saw Taylor, she smiled.

“Your mom’s fine. She’s just sleeping off the painkillers they gave her when they set her leg.” Herberta explained cheerfully. “She got off easy.” she grimaced in pain.

“Herbie, are you okay?” Lisa asked, a concerned expression on her face.

“Fine, I got knocked into a car. Nothing they can do without opening me up, and this place is swamped. I’ve been worse.” Herberta remarked, rubbing her left side. “Doctor says I’m lucky I didn’t perforate my stomach. Anyway, I can manage. The PRT med center has stuff for this, I’ll get treated as soon as we get there. We’ll take my Civic. Taylor followed Herberta as she strode out of the room and down the hallway.

**_Herberta_ **

Herberta groaned as she entered the PHQ. She saw Ethan waiting near the reception desk.

“Herberta, geez!” he said when he saw her. “You look like shit.” 

“Yeah, I belly-flopped a Subaru, Ethan. I’m gonna have a bruise in the shape of the logo on my stomach. Of course I look like shit. Get me some stuff for internal bleeding.” she told him. Ethan nodded and ran for the med center.

* * *

After getting treated, Herberta walked into the command center. Piggot was there, as were representatives of several of Brockton Bay’s gangs.

Kaiser was sitting with his metal boots propped up on the table, while Hookwolf stood in the corner. Purity was chatting animatedly with Hannah, while Krieg stood behind Kaiser, scowling at everyone. Faultline stood by the door, while Trickster leaned against a wall, idly looking at his nails. Piggot cleared her throat loudly and everyone fell silent and looked at her.

“Alright everyone, thank you for coming. We have a lot to cover and not a whole lot of time. As you all know, at 4:56 Eastern Standard Time, several Tinkertech bombs went off at various locations around Brockton Bay. We’ve had techs analyze the shrapnel and remains of the bombs and we believe we have our bomber.” 

She pointed to the large screen on the far wall. A woman’s picture appeared. She was Asian, with long black hair and blue eyes. She had an intense gaze that Herberta associated with either zealotry or psychosis. 

“Meet Vivian Song, AKA Bakuda of the ABB. We’re giving you her name because, as of five o’clock today, she is the subject of a full-scale manhunt. We’ll be splitting your groups up into different teams, to avoid any potential retaliation. You’ll each get a PRT member serving as your leader. This is non-negotiable. Anyone who cannot abide by this rule, you can leave now, with no repercussions.”

No one moved.

“Very well. I’ll give everyone their assignments. Tomorrow morning, everyone meets here, we find Bakuda and she goes straight to the Birdcage. I suggest you all get some rest.”


	29. Combustion 5.2

**_Taylor_** Monday, February 21, 2011

Taylor walked into the PHQ lobby. Everyone was gathering into their groups. Taylor saw Miss Militia wave from her spot by the reception desk. She was standing next to a pair of young women. One had platinum blonde hair, green eyes and a slightly glazed expression. The other had freckles and brown hair and frowned as the blonde was talking. 

“Elle, please put on your mask.” the brunette asked tiredly. The blonde smiled.

“Why, are we having snuggle times, Emily?” she asked brightly. ‘Emily’ turned beet red.

“No, Elle! We’re in public!” ‘Elle’ frowned.

“Sorry for embarrassing you.” she said glumly, putting on her mask. ‘Emily’s’ expression softened.

“You didn’t embarrass me.” she insisted. Taylor waved and Miss Militia smiled, beckoning her over.

“Okay, everyone’s here.” she said, “Things have changed since last night.” She paused as Director Piggot clapped her hands. Everyone turned to look at her.

“As some of you know, Bakuda sent a demand last night. She demanded Lung’s release and threatened to detonate bombs all over the city. Thanks to Thinkers on staff, we now know where she is. Artificer’s group will attempt to distract her, while the rest of you find and defuse the bombs. I wish you all the best of luck.” 

Miss Militia turned to Taylor and the two women.

“Weaver, this is Spitfire and Labyrinth, from Faultline’s crew. We’re going to find and defuse bombs near the Palanquin. Any questions?”

* * *

Standing on the curb outside the nightclub, Taylor sidled up to Miss Militia.

“Do we know what the bombs look like?” she asked. Miss Militia shook her head.

“I’m fairly certain I can identify a bomb, though.” she offered.

“Why are Lisa and I the only Wards in the field?” Taylor asked. Miss Militia sighed.

“The rest of the Wards are running the consoles to help with EOD.” Taylor nodded in understanding. Suddenly a chunk of metal shot past them. Miss Militia pulled up a shotgun, aiming it in the direction it came, Taylor pointing her gauntlets in the same direction. Striding across the street was Skidmark, the leader of the Merchants. He chuckled.

“Hi, bitches. What’s up?” he shouted over to the group. Labyrinth frowned.

“He said a bad word.” she said. Spitfire shushed her. Skidmark pulled out a gun and pointed it at them.

“Now I sure as hell don’t want to escalate this shit, so why don’t y’all head back to the PRT, before I have to fuck y’all up.” he drawled. Labyrinth gave Spitfire a concerned look.

“Are you working for the ABB?” Miss Militia asked incredulously. 

“Not by fucking choice. I’ve got a goddamn bomb in my head, so I respectfully request that you all fuck off.” Skidmark replied. Spitfire crossed her arms.

“No deal.” she said firmly.

“Suit yourself.” Skidmark said, then fired at her. Spitfire dodged, landing on the ground in a crouch. She spat a gout of flame at him, which he sidestepped. 

“What the fuck? You did not need to fucking escalate!” he shouted. Miss Militia shot him in the shoulder.

“FUCK!” he screamed. Miss Militia strode over and kicked the gun out of his hand.

“Where are the bombs?” she asked, pointing her shotgun at his crotch. Skidmark made an undignified squeaking noise and reached into his pocket, pulling out a street map. Miss Militia snatched it out of his hands and began looking over it.

“Here, just please don’t…” Skidmark’s head exploded before he could finish. Labyrinth turned and threw up. Miss Militia sighed.

“Well, now we know why the Merchants didn’t show up. I’ll call it in.” she pulled out her phone and started relaying everything that had happened. As she did, Taylor saw Spitfire rub Labyrinth’s back and hold back her hair as she dry-heaved onto the street.

* * *

Entering the Palanquin, Taylor was not surprised by the industrial theme. She was, however, surprised by the large bomb in the center of the club. She saw Labyrinth walk over to the bar and lean over to root around behind it. After a moment, she held up a bottle and said, “Found it!” in a triumphant voice.

“What’s that for?” Miss Militia asked.

“Well, when we used hypnotism to help Labyrinth manage her powers, she had the idea to make it possible to ‘program’ designs into her subconscious so we knew what we were dealing with.” Spitfire explained. “I think Labyrinth is suggesting we use her powers to contain the bomb, so we can blow it up while containing the explosion. Thing is her powers only work while she’s standing still. So we’ll need to blow them up one at a time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn't clear, Labyrinth is 20 in this AU and Spitfire is 22. On a good day, Elle is at the developmental level of someone with mid- to high-functioning autism. She's fully capable of being in a relationship. Emily is defensive about it because she feels like everyone thinks she's taking advantage of Elle.


	30. Combustion 5.3

**_Taylor_** Monday, February 21, 2011

After defusing all the bombs around the Palanquin, Taylor returned with Hannah, Labyrinth and Spitfire to the PHQ. Entering the building, she saw Lisa curled up on the floor next to a bucket. Taylor rushed over and sat down beside her.

“What happened, honey?” she asked, rubbing Lisa’s shoulder.

“Overused my powers, now I have the mother of all Thinker headaches.” Lisa groaned and dry heaved into the bucket.

“That sucks.” Taylor said as she rubbed Lisa’s back. Lisa nodded weakly in response. 

Labyrinth whispered something in Spitfire’s ear, which made the woman turn beet red and shushed the blonde cape. Labyrinth chuckled in response, which drew an embarrassed smile from Spitfire.

“I think Labyrinth and Spitfire are dating.” Taylor whispered. Lisa chuckled weakly.

“Everyone knows that, she got banned from PHO for a week because she posted a string of sexts by mistake. Apparently she mixed up her PHO app and her messaging app. I’m guessing it’s why Spitfire wears a mask, so that no one can see her blush.” She dry heaved into the bucket again. 

“How long are you gonna be like this?” she asked. Lisa groaned.

“Don’t know.” she answered. “I’ve never pushed my power this far.” 

“Why don’t we get you somewhere more comfortable than the floor.” Taylor carefully picked Lisa up and carried her bridal-style over to one of the couches by the reception desk.

“This is the second time today this has happened to me.” Lisa muttered. Taylor raised an eyebrow at her.

“I shouldn’t have said that.”

**_Herberta_ **

“Bakuda, show yourself!” Herberta shouted as she entered the warehouse. Faultline had simply cut a hole in the door using her power to get in. As she approached the center of the warehouse, she saw her.

Bakuda was lounging on a Laz-E-Boy recliner, with Oni Lee and a couple dozen ABB members standing guard. She had on a pair of goggles and the bottom half of a gas mask, along with a multicolored braid of wire slung over her shoulder. She also had several grenades hanging from a belt.

Herberta strode up to her, ignoring the soldiers training their guns on her. Bakuda saw her and let out a laugh.

“Huh, I thought you’d be smarter than this, Artificer. I guess I’m blowing up the city, then.” She pulled out a detonator and activated it. Nothing happened.

“Yeah, about that….” Herberta said cheerfully. “The PRT and some of the other gangs defused all your bombs before we got here.” She smiled. “So, you have no leverage.” Bakuda snarled and got up from the recliner. She unhooked a grenade from her belt and threw it at Herberta.

Herberta put up an arm to shield herself. As the grenade exploded, a disk formed on her forearm. A field of white light formed around the exploding grenade, and both the light and the grenade disappeared. Herberta gave Bakuda a wolfish smile.

“First rule of being a Tinker: be prepared.” she said. Bakuda snarled. Oni Lee then teleported beside Herberta. Before he could do anything, Herberta elbowed him in his mask, sending him stumbling back. A moment later his form crumpled to dust, indicating he had teleported.

“Coward.” Bakuda said dismissively. She pulled a grenade from her belt and tossed it at Herberta. Herberta calmly activated the forcefield tech in her armor, making panes of smoky energy form around her body. Instead of seeing shrapnel bounce off the force field, she was surprised to find herself encased in ice. Luckily, the force fields had given her some room. She swept her laser beams through the ice, tearing it to pieces.

“Is that all you’ve…” she began, before Bakuda threw another grenade. Herberta danced backwards as it imploded, transforming into a tiny ball of blackness that pulled at her until it winked out a moment later.

“Holy shit! Was that a miniature black hole?” Herberta asked. Bakuda nodded smugly as she tossed another grenade at Herberta. Herberta saw it activated an experimental system she’d designed, based on Missy’s powers. The grenade suddenly dropped to the floor by Bakuda’s feet.

“How the fu…” the bomber asked before there was a flash and Bakuda was lying on the floor, screaming in agony. Herberta walked over and cuffed the woman as the soldiers ran off. She turned to Kaiser and Faultline.

“Any idea where the detonator is?” she asked. “Because the one she supposedly used was a fake.”

“Check her feet.” Faultline suggested. “One of the eyewitnesses at Cornell saw her doing something with her toes before the bombs went off.” Herberta nodded and pulled off the unconscious bomber’s shoes. She grinned as she saw two toe rings on one foot. Pulling them off, she held them up so Kaiser and Faultline could see.

“Alright, now who wants to carry her back to HQ.” she asked.

“Why is everyone looking at me?” Kaiser asked, before hoisting Bakuda over his shoulder.

* * *

When Herberta returned to the PHQ, she saw Taylor rubbing Lisa’s back as she dry heaved into a bucket. Herberta smiled at them and continued smiling until she found Armsmaster.

“What! The! Hell!” she shouted, punctuating each word with a jab at his chest. Armsmaster raised his hand in a defensive stance.

“It was all Lisa, I swear!” he said in a panicked tone. “She defused the bomb at the museum, threw up on it, then passed out.” He stepped back. “Please don’t kill me.” he asked in a small voice. Herberta sighed.

“Sorry, I get a little overprotective when Lisa’s involved.” she told him, retracting her helmet and shaking out her hair. Armsmaster visibly relaxed.

“It’s fine, no harm done.” the other Tinker replied. Herberta chuckled.

“I’m gonna head down to the hospital to see if Dani woke up.” she said, heading for the locker room to change. As she reached the end of the hallway, she swore she heard Armsmaster say “Fucking finally.”


	31. Interlude 5.a- Herberta

Herberta stood outside Dani’s hospital room, not sure why she was waiting.  _ Come on, you dope! Go in there and tell her how you feel,  _ she thought. Finally building up the courage, she opened the door and stepped inside.

“Hey, you.” Dani called from the bed. “You weren’t here when I woke up, so I figured you were chasing down the bomber.” she chuckled, then clutched her ribs. “Still a little sore, I guess.”

Herberta walked over and sat down beside the hospital bed.

“So…” she began, “I think I figured out what you wanted to tell me on the boardwalk, you know, before you got thrown through the air.” Dani smiled.

“What do you think I wanted to tell you?” she asked coyly. Herberta sighed.

“That you’re interested in me. Which I’m fine with, I’m interested too, but you should know some stuff about me before you take the plunge.” She took a deep breath.

“I know there’s rumors that my fiance broke up with me after I unmasked. Technically, that’s true, but it’s not the whole story.” Dani gave her a puzzled look.

“The real story begins about two years earlier, when I meet this girl, we’ll call her ‘Cee-Cee’, at a bar after a patrol. She’s nice, seems interested in me, cute. I invite her over to my place, and you know all the jokes. Six months later, we’re dating. Haven’t moved in together because she’s very private about her work, and I don’t want to out myself as Artificer. A year after we met, I proposed, she says yes. My parents love her. Everything's coming up Herbie.” Herberta took another deep breath, this one a little shaky.

“Then the fateful press conference arrives. The day before, I tried to call her, to ask her to meet so I can tell her in person, but she’s stuck in meetings for the next day or so. I unmask and come out of the closet, and well, the rest is history.” Herberta blinked, then rubbed away the few tears running down her cheeks.

“So I’m sitting in my apartment the day after everything, I’ve been crying for hours after my mom basically blamed me for my dad’s death, and Cee-Cee comes in. She hugs me, rubs my back, says she saw the news. Then she tells me that she has a confession to make. She stands there and tells me that she’s a cape, and not only that, she’s Citrine of the Ambassadors, someone who I’ve fought with almost once a week.” Heberta stopped talking, wiping her eyes as a sob wracked her body. Dani frowned.

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to tell me.” she said in a soft voice.

“I can do this.” Herberta said, then continued. “Admittedly, I didn’t react well. I pointed a gun at her, and accused her of using me for information. Things only deteriorated from there. It ended when Citrine screamed ‘Fuck you’ at me and threw the engagement ring in my face. She left, and I haven’t spoken to her since.”

Herberta sighed, and put her head in her hands.

“The PRT psychologist I see once a week says that experience has caused me some trouble in forming intimate relationships and has resulted in some trust issues. I say that I haven’t quite moved on from Citrine. So, knowing what you know now, does a relationship still seem like a good idea?” she asked.

Dani gave her a long look.

“Yes. Yes it does.” she said. “You’re not the only one bringing baggage into a relationship. I’m a widow, remember. Have you ever been told you talk about your ex too much?” she asked.

“Yeah. My last partner said it was a defining reason why our relationship didn’t work out.”

“I’ve been told I talked too much about my dead wife, and that it kind of put a damper on the relationship. I think I can handle you bitching about your ex a little, or even a lot.” Dani said. Herberta smiled.

“And I think I can handle you calling out your wife’s name during sex sometimes.” she shot back.

“Yeah.” Dani rubbed her neck awkwardly. “That’s happened too.” Herberta chuckled.

“I can wear her clothes if that makes it less weird.” she offered jokingly. Dani glared at her.

“Has anyone told you you’re kind of a dick?”

“You, Hannah, the cashier at Target, it’s really more who hasn’t at this point.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now Herbie's tragic past is revealed. I'll be putting up a post on the information page with this information later.
> 
> When it's said that Herbie's mom blamed her publically, it was meant that it came out that, at the hospital, Herbie's mom blamed her for her dad's death in the middle of an argument. and it got caught on camera, and because it was being reported live, the public just saw Herbie being blamed for her father's death on live TV. 
> 
> Herbie doesn't talk to her mom anymore. They've reconciled and her mom apologized, but their relationship never really recovered.


	32. Tranquility 6.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning for characters joking about sleeping with Nazis along with some sexual innuendo and mild nudity.
> 
> Also, for anyone not paying attention to the dates next to the POV's, there's been a two month time-skip.

**_Taylor_** Saturday, April 23, 2011

Taylor snuck downstairs in her robe, tip-toeing to avoid waking her mom up. Entering the kitchen, she saw Herberta standing in just a t-shirt. Taylor froze, her robe falling open. Herberta averted her eyes.

“Can you tie that shut?” she asked, “I really don’t want to have this conversation avoiding eye contact.” As Taylor tied her robe, Herberta got some eggs out of the fridge.

“I’ll be blunt,” she admitted, “I fucked your mom last night.” Taylor nodded.

“I figured.” she replied. “Lisa and I heard you.” she admitted sheepishly. Herberta sighed and grabbed some orange juice. As she poured a glass, she explained.

“I suppose I should have talked to you before I asked your mom out.” she said. Taylor chuckled.

“I was the one who pushed her to go out with you.” she told Herberta, who smiled.

“Of course you did. So I’m guessing you have no objections to this?” she asked.

“Just that you put on some underwear when you’re somewhere I might see you.” Taylor deadpanned. “I’ve been staring at your chest to avoid seeing the vagina of someone who’s slept with my mom.” Herberta blushed.

“I’ll bear that in mind.” she said tartly as she headed for the stairs. Taylor chuckled at the older cape’s annoyance.

* * *

After taking a shower (sans Lisa, sadly), and getting dressed, Taylor made her way to the PHQ to meet with the newest member of the Wards. As she entered the Wards locker room to change, she saw a familiar face adjusting her towel.

“Amy!” she shouted. Amy looked up and smiled. She looked a little different, more vibrant, and she didn’t have bags under her eyes. 

“Hey, Taylor. You’re the first familiar face I’ve seen since I got back.” she said, removing her towel and pulling on a sports bra and shorts. 

“When did you get back? And how was Ellisburg?” Taylor asked, taking off her pants and sweater, and pulling on her suit.

“I waged a concerted guerilla war against Nilbog’s creations, then found the guy living in an Applebee’s. We talked for a while, then I killed him. I give it three stars.” Amy explained dryly. 

“Huh. How’d you manage that?” Taylor asked.

“According to the PRT, he was so out of shape that when I punched him in the chest, he suffered a heart attack. In reality, I liquified his organs. I did cut off oxygen to his brain first, so he died peacefully. As far as he knew, he just passed out and never woke up.” Amy told her.

“Why would you do that? He was an S-class threat who killed thousands.” Taylor wondered.

“When I met him, he had the mind of a child and, honestly, was kind of pathetic. I didn’t feel comfortable torturing him in that state.” Amy said. Taylor nodded. That made sense.

“So, what’s next for Amy Dallon?” Taylor asked teasingly. Amy smiled.

“Well, first off, I’m Amelia Lavere now. I decided to stop hiding my connection to my dad. I’m also getting some help from the PRT in filing for emancipation from Carol.” Taylor laughed. “What’s so funny?” Amy asked.

“Guess you missed all the cape gossip while you were in Ellisburg. Mark filed for divorce soon after you left. He got custody of Victoria. They’re living with the Pelhams now. It’s gotten ugly.” Amy gave her an intrigued look.

“How ugly?” she asked eagerly.

“Carol said Victoria isn’t even Mark’s, and that she had an affair with Neil Pelham. So now Sarah and Neil are going to couples counseling and Mark feels deeply uncomfortable at the Pelhams. It ended up backfiring, though, as Mark got custody.” Taylor replied. Amy now had a smile on her face that her moms had referred to as “Evil smile #6”, the one that promised misery and suffering at her mom’s next faculty meeting, which turned to a frown.

“So if I were to destroy the last of her preconceptions about the world by proving myself as a hero, do you think it would damage her psyche to a dangerous degree?” she asked worriedly. “I mean, I kinda want to stick it to her, but not if it makes her suicidal.”

“I think it’ll be fine. Carol has a large well of spite to draw from. She’d beat depression if it meant not letting you win.” Taylor assured her. Amy smiled.

“So what’s new with the Wards?” she asked.

“Well, everyone is grateful that Lisa takes console duty a lot. And we got a new member! I’m in charge of showing her the ropes. Oh!” Taylor said as the newest Ward entered the locker room in a towel. “And here she is. Amy, this is Tammy.” Tammy turned red and fumbled with the towel.

“We’ve met.” Amy said dryly. Taylor paused, looking back and forth between the two.

“You two were having sex before I came in here, weren’t you?” she said, after a moment. Tammy held up her hands, the towel falling around her feet.

“In my defense, I didn’t know she was Panacea.” she said defensively. Taylor giggled.

“I’m not judging you, I’m just surprised Amy would go for it.” Amy chuckled.

“Yeah, well, part of my journey of introspection was a bit of sexual exploration. I’ve got game now.” she bragged. She opened her locker and pulled on a dark red bodysuit with a white cross on the chest. 

“Well, before Tammy was a Ward,” Taylor said, gesturing to the blonde, who had secured her towel and was now combing her hair, “She was Rune, from E88. So I suppose you have something in common with Eva Braun now.” Tammy smiled as Amy chuckled.

“Well that’s not so bad. Eva Braun was hot.” Tammy said. Amy giggled.

“You totally had sexual fantasies about her, didn’t you?” she teased. Tammy blushed.

“Maybe. I also might have imagined I saved her from dying with Hitler and we went to live in Brazil with two cats named Himmler and Goebbels.” she said with a smirk. Taylor laughed.

“That is hilarious.” she told Tammy, who turned a deeper shade of red.

“Don’t judge me.” the blonde said, “I was a neo-Nazi, it was either her or Edith Piaf!” Amy giggled.

“Well, now I have some  _ ideas  _ for a second date.” she said, a smile spreading across her face. Tammy giggled.

“Introduce me to your mom, that’s how you get back at her.” she suggested to Amy, who smirked.

“Alright, everyone. Before you get too involved in planning revenge on Carol, Tammy and I are practicing close-quarter-combat, so suit up.” Taylor interjected as she put on her mask, the lens covers expanding and retracting, then settling to the default position.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In answer to people wondering how Herbie forgot to put on underwear: she's a Tinker. Some days, it's a miracle she remembers to put on pants. Also, she's previously been living on her own, where, if she doesn't want to wear underwear in her own home, she can.


	33. Tranquility 6.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning for mentions of pedophilia. Luckily, this chapter has no plot significance, so you can skip it.

**_Herberta_** Saturday, April 23, 2011

Herberta stood back as she admired her handiwork. She’d been working the past two months on an upgrade for the Weaver suit. Taylor came into the lab and looked at the suit.

“What’s different? All I can tell is that the lenses are glowing slightly and that there’s no back plate, just that ridge of metal extending from the chest plate across my back.” she paused. “It’s cool and probably a lot easier to put on, but I don’t see anything new.” Herberta smiled.

“That’s because most of the changes I made were to the inside.” She pulled out a remote and clicked a button. The mannequin rotated so the back of the suit was facing Taylor.

“Those ridges you mentioned hold the spider arms, as well as some new wings.” Herberta pressed another button and four thin hoops of metal extended from each of the ridges. The space inside the hoops glowed as a persistent hum filled the air.

“It uses force field generators to keep the weight down.” she explained. Taylor smiled.

“What else did you add?” she asked.

“I also modified your bracers. I added a secondary system that fires these ‘darts’,” she said, holding up a small disk that looked like a disk battery, “that can have various effects. I built ones that work as tasers, ones that work as containment foam grenades, and ones with grappling hooks. I have ideas for more, but that’s all I’ve got for now. They’re stored in the ridges along with the arms and wings. You’ll need to remember to make sure you get them refilled whenever you can, but otherwise, they shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. I added a heads-up display to your mask which will tell you how many of each type you have left.” 

“Cool.” Taylor responded. “Anything else?”

“I integrated the armor plates into the lining of the suit, but kept the outlines of the greaves. That’s all. I’ll have it in your locker tonight. Try to practice a little before your next patrol. It’s fairly intuitive, and the HUD has a targeting system built in.”

Taylor smiled.

“Thanks, Herbie. See you tonight for dinner.” she said as she headed for the door to the lab.

**_Lisa_ **

Lisa sat down across from the prisoner in the interrogation room. The prisoner was one of Coil’s mercenaries, who they had captured in a sting operation on the Undersiders, the name the PRT had given Shadow Stalker’s new group. The mercenary had been identified, and his name had come up in a number of other cases. There was currently a jurisdictional battle royale over who would get him when the PRT was done with him. She flipped through the files on the table before her.

“Alan Farle, AKA ‘Creep’. There’s a lot we learned about you. Kicked out of Blackwater due to ‘unspecified sexual misconduct’. Person of interest in the disappearances of several young girls, in multiple states. Hasn’t held a job for more than six months. Now, you know what I think, Mr. Farle? I think you might be a pedophile, possibly a murderer.” She said, smiling smugly as she saw him wriggle in his seat.

His face remained impassive. “That’s a serious accusation, miss. I could sue you for slander.” he drawled. Lisa chuckled. She leaned closer to Farle.

“I don’t think you understand how fucked you are.” she told him. “There’s Police Departments from twelve states who want your head on a pike. We could give you to the ones with the least evidence, or we could give you to the ones who’ll do anything to hang you, literally.” she smiled again. “It all depends on how much you’re willing to give me on Coil’s organization. She slid a notepad and a felt tip marker across the table. 

“It’s up to you, Mr. Farle.” she told him as she stood up and left the room.

* * *

Inside the observation room, Hannah sighed. 

“I still don’t like you going in there.” she complained as Lisa rejoined her. Lisa shrugged.

“I’m not worried, I’m a bit old for him, given what I read.” she replied. Hannah cringed.

“Ugh, I can’t believe we’re cutting a deal with scum like this.” she muttered. Lisa smiled evilly.

“We’re not cutting a deal with him. The department with the least evidence has enough to put him away for life. One strategic leak later, he gets murdered in a prison shower.” Hannah stared at her, aghast.

“What? It’s not like he’s a sterling human being.” Lisa peered through the two-way mirror. Farle was finishing up. Lisa headed for the door to the observation room.

“I’m gonna go give him the news.” she said cheerfully as she opened the door.

* * *

Lisa reentered the interrogation room. Farle sat back in his chair, a smirk on his face.

“I gave you everything I have on Coil, now when can I get out of here?” He asked. Lisa chuckled.

“I still don’t think you understand your situation. The jurisdiction with the least evidence has more than enough to put you in prison for years.” she stood and grabbed the notepad. As she left, she looked over her shoulder.

“I’d watch your back, Mr. Farle. People like you don’t do well in prison.” 


	34. Tranquility 6.3

**_Amy_** Saturday, April 23, 2011

Amy stood outside the Pelham house, flowers in hand.  _ You can do this,  _ she thought. She walked to the door and knocked twice. After a moment, the door opened and she saw Victoria staring at her. 

“Hey, Vicky. Don’t worry, the flowers aren’t for you. I just modified them to not dry out and thought they’d make the house look…” she trailed off as she saw Victoria run out the back door and then saw her fly off. She entered the house and went to the kitchen to find a vase for the flowers, where she saw Crystal using her lasers to grill some chicken.

“Hey, what’s up?” she said gesturing to the flowers. Crystal gestured to a cabinet and Amy went to get a vase. Once she had put the flowers in the vase, she turned to Crystal.

“What’s up with Vicky?” she asked. Crystal shrugged.

“I think she’s a little weirded out that you had a crush on her.” she suggested.

“Well she wasn’t when she found out!” Amy said indignantly. “What changed?” Crystal raised an eyebrow.

“Probably you not being around to need defending from Carol. Vicky’s protective of you, sometimes to the exclusion of other feelings. You being away gave her time for those feelings to take precedence.” she offered.

“But I don’t have a crush on her anymore!” Amy groaned. “I just want my sister back!” Crystal sighed.

“I’m not sure Victoria feels comfortable around you anymore, especially now that she’s heard about what you can do.” Amy gave her a confused look.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Well, everyone knows you can basically do anything to a person’s biology now,” Crystal explained, “So, do you think it might have occurred to Victoria that you could make her fall in love with you, if you wanted to?” 

“Shit.” Amy breathed. “No wonder she’s avoiding me. What can I do to fix this?” she asked.

“I’m not sure you can.” Crystal admitted. “I think the only thing you can do is try to prove to Victoria you have no interest in altering her mind so she wants to have sex with you.”

Amy stared at her.

“I would never!” she sputtered. Crystal sighed.

“I didn’t say you would, I said Victoria is afraid you  _ might. _ ” she said. Amy sat down at the table.

“I fucked everything up, didn’t I?” she moaned. Crystal sat down beside her.

“You didn’t fuck anything up, you just…” she paused. “...Didn’t think things through.”

Amy put her head on the table.

* * *

  
After leaving the Pelhams, Amy headed back to the PHQ. As she sat in the cafeteria, she saw Dean come in. As he sat down, she sighed.

“Victoria’s acting weird around you, huh? I probably should have warned you ‘bout that.” he admitted sheepishly.

“So what’s going on?” she asked him. “Crystal said it was because she was afraid I’d use my powers to make her fall in love with me.” Dean sighed.

“It’s actually a lot more complicated than that. See, after you left, Victoria started having dreams about you.” he paused. “X-rated dreams. She’s paranoid that you affected her somehow as revenge for sort-of Mastering you. Or that you’re obsessed with her and she’s living in a freaking Lifetime movie.” 

Amy snorted into her drink. “I guess I shouldn’t tell her about the knockout gas I made that gives the victim erotic dreams of me, then.” she muttered.

Dean made a choking noise. “Why would you make something like that?”

“I didn’t plan to!” she protested. “I was experimenting with knock-out gas, and found out that, with the right blend of hallucinogens, you could induce different kinds of dreams. A friend wondered if I could use scents to affect the content of the dreams. Things... snowballed and here we are.” Dean chuckled. 

“Yeah, maybe keep that under your hat for now.” he said. “Point is, Vicky’s feeling anxious about you and what the dreams say about her feelings toward you, conscious or otherwise. That, combined with your powers, makes her feel really uncomfortable around you. Distance is your friend right now.” Amy sighed.

“This sucks. I knew her for ten years. We were there for each other’s trigger events. We were in high school, middle school and most of elementary school together. I had that, and I ruined it.” she sighed. “Maybe I just shouldn’t have said anything.” she said glumly.

“No!” Dean interjected. “It was a good thing you told her, even if she doesn’t want to be around you right now. I’m sure that, once she figures her issues out, she’ll be fine hanging out with you again. Until then, if you need a place to crash, my Wards dorm is always open.” he smiled and got up. 

“Until next time, Amy.” he told her as he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crystal sucks at pep talks.


	35. Tranquility 6.4

**_Herberta_** Sunday, April 24, 2011

“Where the hell are my earrings?” Herberta asked as she pulled on her heels. She’d decided on a pink sleeved dress with a modest V-neck and an ankle-length skirt. Pulling her hair into a bun, she rooted around in her drawer until she found the final part of her outfit: a gold domino mask. Looking around, she realized the earrings were on the dresser, where she had left them.

“Never mind, found them!” she shouted. Taylor came in, wearing a blue and grey dress with ballet flats. She’d done her hair up in a bun as well, and was wearing a necklace with a pendant the same color as her mask, which had built-in lenses. 

“Ready, Herbie?” she asked. Herberta smiled.

“Almost.” she said. “Lisa! Are you ready?” she shouted. Lisa poked her head out of the bathroom. She wasn’t wearing a mask, as she wasn’t a publicized member of the Wards. She wore a tailored pink suit and a bowtie with cartoon eyes on it. She stepped out in heels, which still didn’t bring her to Taylor’s height. 

“Yep.” she said cheerfully, “Let’s ride.” They made their way to the front door, where Dani waited.

Herberta gasped.

Dani wore a three-piece suit in pale grey tweed. She had styled her hair and put on quite a bit of make-up, which made her already pale skin glow with vitality. She’d switched her plastic-framed glasses for horn-rimmed ones with a small sequin in the corner. She wore a pair of black stiletto heels with a single strap around her ankles, which were just visible under the hem of her flared suit pants. Herberta felt her heart falter slightly.

“Dani,” she said breathlessly, “You look beautiful.” Dani smiled.

“You clean up pretty well yourself.” she joked. “Let’s get going or we’ll be late.”

**_Amy_ **

As Amy entered the ballroom, she saw Vicky, giggling at a joke Dean was telling her. Victoria saw her and turned beet red. She rushed out, as Dean shot Amy an apologetic look, then followed her.

Amy sighed and sat down at a nearby table.  _ This sucks,  _ she thought as she put her head in her hands.

“So you decided to crawl back here.” a drunken voice slurred. Amy turned to see Carol, wearing an orange tailored pantsuit, glaring at her. She had a martini glass in hand, and Amy noticed she wasn’t wearing her wedding ring.

“You weren’t satisfied with ruining my life, so you decided to ruin Victoria’s, too.” She accused Amy, who just sighed.

“Carol, you’re drunk. I’m not doing this with you, so leave me alone.” she said tiredly. Carol scowled.

“Just stay the hell away from my daughter.” she snarled, stalking off as Amy sighed. A couple minutes later, she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned and saw Tammy, wearing a grey and purple patterned wrap dress, standing there. She had a smile on her face and held out her hand.

“Can I have this dance, miss?” she asked, giving Amy a flirtatious smile.

“Certainly.” she told the blonde.

**_Taylor_ **

“I think my mom’s going to ask Herbie to move in soon.” Taylor told Lisa as they swayed to the music. Lisa chuckled.

“She might regret that, seeing as Herbie’s a Noctis cape and a Tinker. If you ever hear a weird noise in the middle of the night, it’s probably Herbie doing some Tinker-ing.” Taylor laughed.

“Good to know. Luckily I sleep like the dead.” she said. Lisa chuckled.

“Which is why we instituted certain rules in the bedroom.” she reminded Taylor.

“I said I was sorry!” she said, eliciting a chuckle from Lisa.

“I know, sweetie.” she said.

**_Herberta_ **

“This is nice.” Dani said as they waltzed around the ballroom. Herberta smiled.

“It is. Also, I didn’t know you were such a good dancer.” Dani giggled.

“Annette and I took a ballroom dancing class in grad school. She was actually the better dancer.” she admitted.

“She sounds like a wonderful woman. If she were alive, I’d almost feel bad for coming between you.” Dani gave her a reproachful glare.

“Hey! I said almost.” Herberta protested. “And, if we’re being honest, I’d actually feel really bad.” she added. Dani smiled.

“My mom would love you, though. Her only requirements for my girlfriends are that they get along with her, and that they dress better than I do. I’m what some would call a ‘schlub’.” she said. 

“I’ve seen your closet, and I kinda agree with that sentiment.” Herberta remarked. Dani chuckled.

“Yeah, this suit is what I’d wear to Annette’s faculty events. I was actually surprised it still fit.” she remarked. “I’ve actually put on some weight since Annette died.” she admitted. Herberta smiled.

“I didn’t notice.” she said coquettishly.

“That’s ‘cause I hid all of the photos of Annette and I.” Dani shot back.

“Why? Is this because you feel guilty about us?” Herberta asked nervously.

“No. I just feel weird having sex with a picture of my dead wife staring at me.” Dani replied. “Even if she is smiling.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.” Herberta admitted in a mildly surprised tone of voice. 

“I’m moving them to my home office and my office at work.” Dani told her. “That way I can still have them around.”

“That’s great.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dani, as it turns out, is really butch.


	36. Interlude 6.a-Various

**_Regent_ **

Alec sighed as he watched the woman get into her car and followed her in his beat-up Corolla. Shadow Stalker had been ordered by Coil to kidnap Lisa Wilbourn, a Thinker in the care of the PRT. He’d been ordered to shadow the people near Lisa. Today was Lisa’s girlfriend’s mother, who Alec had identified as Dani Hebert. He followed Dani towards the docks, staying far behind so as to avoid being spotted. As they neared the Boat Graveyard, Dani’s car began to slow down as she pulled over to the side of the street, her hazard lights flipping on. Alec swore. If he stopped as well, he’d get caught. But if he continued, he’d have to wait and might also get caught. Then he had an idea.

Pulling his car over to park behind hers, he got out and waved to Dani.

“Hey, do you need some help?” he asked cheerfully. Dani smiled.

“My tire pressure alarm went off, but I can’t tell if any of the tires are going flat.” she said. “Maybe you could take a look?”

Alec smiled and ambled over. As he leaned down to take a closer look at the front left tire, he suddenly felt a spike of pain in the back of his head.

Everything went dark.

**_Dani_ **

Dani pulled out her phone and dialed the PRT hotline.

_ “Hello?”  _ the voice on the other end asked.

“Hi, it’s Danica Hebert. I just knocked out someone who I think might be a cape. Regent, I think.” Dani told the operator.

_ “We’ll send someone right away, ma’am.” _ the operator replied. Dani hung up and stared at the unconscious young man.  _ I think I have some zip ties in the car,  _ she thought as she waited.

**_Herberta_ **

“Regent, AKA Alec Blanc, AKA Jean-Paul Vasil. Dani, you knocked out one of Heartbreaker’s kids with a tire iron.” Dani beamed.

“I’m a badass.” she said jauntily.

“That was really smart of you to draw him out.” Herberta remarked.

“Thanks. I’m headed to work, see you tonight.” Dani gave Herberta a quick peck on the lips, then headed for the exit. Herberta grinned and headed for the detention center. On the way there, she ran into Amy.

“Where’s that Master-ing son-of-a-bitch?” she asked angrily. “I’m going to give him prostate cancer!” 

As she strode towards the detention center, Herberta grabbed her by the neck of her shirt.

“Let’s try to avoid giving prisoners terminal diseases. Besides, we don’t have him forever. We’ve got twelve hours, then we have to turn him over to Calvert.” Herberta said the name with distaste.

“What did he do, hit on you?” Amy asked.

“Worse.” Herberta muttered. “He quit and took a bunch of PRT employees with him to form that stupid private security company.”

“Azorius?” Amy asked.

“Yeah.” Herberta answered. “Then he got the mayor to put him in charge of holding parahuman criminals.” Amy sighed.

“Yeah, Carol joined his legal team and Victoria is pissed.” she said.

“Victoria’s talking to you again?” Herberta asked.

“Yeah, once I was able to whip up a sleep aid to help deal with her porno-dreams of me, we’ve been besties. She even helped me pick out some outfits for date nights.” Amy said cheerfully. “Thanks for recommending me to Dr. Clarke. he’s been really helpful. Definitely better than Dean.”

“He usually is.” As they reached the cell block, Herberta turned to Amy.

“We need to make the most of the time we’ve got, so you can stay and watch, but you’re not coming in.” Amy pouted.

  
  


Herberta stood in front of Regent’s cell.

“Alec, can I call you Alec?” she said. Alec nodded. “Here’s the deal. We have you ‘till eight, then you get transferred to a cell at Azorius, where, as a Master, you’ll probably be held in some ridiculous Bond villain trap, or we can cut a deal. Your choice.” 

Alec chuckled. 

“And why would you trust anything I have to say? I’m a sociopath.” he told her, an eyebrow arched skeptically.

“If you are a sociopath, you’re the crappiest one I’ve ever seen. Lisa says you clearly regretted what you did at the bank, and Miss Hebert told me you offered to be someone for Amy to talk to about her issues. Though I’d advise against that right now. Five minutes ago, she was threatening to give you cancer.” Alec chuckled.

“Well I did out her, so that’s fair.” he said. “But it doesn’t really matter what I do, because I’ll be dead before tonight. Once I don’t check in, Shadow Stalker will activate the microexplosive Coil put in my brain, and it’s lights out for yours truly.”

“This cell is also a Faraday cage.” Herberta told him. “Also, I didn’t realize the Undersiders worked for Coil.”

“I’ll give you everything I know if you keep me in this cell.” Alec offered. Herberta smiled.

“Then we have a deal.” As she went to the door, she heard Alec clear his throat. She turned.

“Can you send Amy in, please? I need to apologize.” he asked.

“Sure. But if you wind up with cancer, that’s your fault.”

**_Amy_ **

Amy stood in front of Regent’s cell. He didn’t look all that intimidating in prisoner attire.

“You didn’t call.” he said in a disappointed voice.

“I’m not in the habit of calling people who ruin my life.” she shot back angrily. Regent sighed.

“That’s fair.” he admitted. “Would it make you hate me less if I told you I felt shitty about it afterward?”

“If I believed you, maybe.” she retorted.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it. It’s exactly the sort of fucked-up shit my dad would have done.” He sighed. “Guess I’m more like him than I thought.” he sat down on the bed.

“Who’s your dad?” Amy asked.

“Heartbreaker.” Regent answered. “So you have it better than I do. Your dad was the honorable  _ Godfather _ -type cape, while mine was a piece of shit. You have good memories of your dad, right?”

“A few.” Amy admitted. They were fuzzy, but she definitely remembered the time spent with her biological father as a happy one.

“I don’t have one single good memory of my dad. I ran away from him. And I have to deal with everyone thinking I’m just like my dad. But I try to be better. Because there’s nothing sadder than someone who’s unwilling to change.” he said glumly.

“I can think of something sadder: when people won’t let you change, because they already have their own idea of you in their mind. I know a little bit about that. Carol has done nothing but assume I’m the next Nilbog since I got back.” Amy replied. “I’m betting you’ll be in the same boat, because you can Master people, like your father. It’s important to find people to support you. At least I have Victoria.”

“The drug dealer you fell for?” Regent asked skeptically.

“The foster sister who didn’t run screaming when I admitted to nursing a quasi-incestuous crush on her for years. And who insisted I talk to someone about it, instead of bottling it up until I did something horrible because of it.” Amy corrected.

“Fair enough. You know, if I didn’t know you were a lesbian, I’d ask you out. You’re fun to talk to.” Regent said. Amy smiled.

“If I were straight, I might just accept.” She chuckled. “I’m fine with being friends for now. I might even be able to take a look at your brain, keep you from ever becoming your father, if you wanted me to.” she offered.

“I’ll pass for now. Let’s wait until I’ve said all I know about Coil before we do any brain surgery, in case I wind up a vegetable.” Regent told her.

“Well, ‘till next time, Regent.” she said, heading for the exit.

“Call me Alec.” he said warmly.


	37. Tranquility 6.5

**_Lisa_** Friday, April 29, 2011

“...So someone switched the contents of the vials, just like in  _ Knives Out _ .” Lisa summarized, as Taylor sent her bugs to entrap the fleeing suspect. “But it couldn’t have been this guy.” she said, gesturing to said suspect, dragged back by a swarm of butterflies. The suspect, a scion of a wealthy Brocktonite family, was accused of murdering his father and pinning it on his father’s nurse.  _ Who, incidentally, was banging her employer’s granddaughter, but he already knew that. That’s why he left everything to her. Also to screw over the rest of his family. He was kind of vindictive. _

“He couldn’t have done it himself, location tracker data places him on the other side of town at the time of death.” Taylor explained. Lisa smiled.

“I said someone switched the vials, I didn’t say who. Trickster can swap the places of objects of similar masses. I bet if we look at his finances, we’ll find a substantial payment to Coil’s organization. With your permission,” she asked the police detective who’d called them in, “I’d like to bring him in, find out what he knows about Coil, why he’s doing murder for hire now.” The detective nodded. Taylor and Lisa headed for the door, Taylor’s swarm of butterflies carrying their prisoner behind them. As Lisa opened the door of the manor house, she came face-to-face with a woman wearing a Azorius Security uniform.

“What the fuck?” Lisa shouted angrily. The woman remained impassive.

“We’re here to execute an arrest warrant on Walton Therremby.” she said, gesturing to a pair of Azorius employees behind her. “He’s a person of interest in a case we’re building on a murder-for-hire outfit.” Lisa crossed her arms.

“Well, we want him for the same reason, and we got here first, so unless you have a court order…” Lisa trailed off as the woman pulled out a piece of paper. She sighed.

“Fine. You can have him.” she said through gritted teeth. Taylor’s butterflies dropped Therremby in a heap as Taylor and Lisa left the manor house, Taylor waving goodbye to the housekeeper.

**_Taylor_ **

Taylor sat in the passenger seat as Lisa fumed behind the wheel. In a couple months, she’d get her license, and Herberta had offered to teach her, since her mom was a little scared of her driving. 

“... this is the fifth time they’ve poached a lead on Coil from us.” Lisa complained. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were covering for him.”

Taylor sighed. She’d known from the start that Lisa had a score to settle with Coil, but it was starting to wear on her. Lisa had become slightly obsessed, staying up all night to go over the latest intel. They hadn’t had sex in two weeks, and Taylor felt like Lisa was slipping away. 

“Could we talk about something else? Anything?” she asked curtly. Lisa looked over at her, her expression softening as her power told her how Taylor was feeling.

“I’ve been a bit much, haven’t I?” she asked.

“A little.” Taylor admitted. “But it’s okay. It’s not like you’re doing this over something stupid. You’re obsessing over bringing down a criminal who got you hooked on drugs. It’s okay for you to go a little overboard. I just think you should take a break. You’re not going to catch him if you burn yourself out.” Lisa smiled.

“Thanks for letting me know when I’m going overboard. My power sends me down rabbit holes sometimes.” she admitted. Taylor patted her on the shoulder.

“Let’s head home. I need to take shower, and you could join me if you want.” she said. Lisa gave her a sultry look in response to the insinuation.

**_Herberta_ **

“So you’re telling me that somehow, all the concerns raised by teachers over Taylor Hebert’s treatment by Sophia Hess, for a year, got lost?” Herberta asked incredulously. Detective Lance sighed.

“Yeah. After interviewing the teachers at Winslow, we found that several of them made notes about incidents involving Hebert, but that they could never find the notes they made afterwards. So, being overworked, they ended up forgetting about it. This was until August of 2010, when Sophia became a Ward and Blackwell circulated the gag order on any of Sophia’s misbehavior. If this is true, and the evidence says it is, Sophia had a guardian angel looking out for her.” He remarked.

“Well why didn’t they go straight to the principal when something happened?” Herberta asked.

“Winslow policy is to avoid disrupting instructional time, probably because there are so many incidents, it would cause classes to grind to a halt if they didn’t. Teachers are told to make a note of it and bring it up with administrators at the end of the day. It actually worked pretty well, for the most part, because it made it impossible for students to be sure they got away with shit. It just didn’t account for Shadow Stalker having someone looking out for her.” 

“But how would this guardian angel have gotten rid of any teachers' notes on incidents? They couldn’t all have made notes the same way.” she said.

“Actually they did. They all used a Word document or an email. Apparently, when the system was first introduced, teachers had problems with losing papers or having students steal them during their lunch break. So they ended up switching to a paperless system, so as to make their lives slightly easier.”

“Well, we’ve established that Coil has sophisticated hackers working for him. Do you think you could turn their devices over to the PRT? I’d like to have Dragon take a look. It’s possible Coil was setting Shadow Stalker up to be his mole in the PRT, if he didn’t have one already.” Herberta told Lance, who nodded.

“Sure. I’ll have them sent over right away. We managed to keep Azorius’ hands off them. It’s weird, they keep requesting to see the evidence on the Shadow Stalker case, saying something about how a gag order might have been put in place to protect her from E88 retaliation. Their head attorney keeps saying that we might have pushed her into villany.” Lance told her, a note of exasperation in his voice.

“That’s a surprising amount of nuance, coming from Carol.” Herberta muttered. “But why are they trying to get Blackwell off the hook. I mean, even if she took a bribe to cover for Sophia, it’s not like she’d know anything important about Coil, that’d make getting her cleared worth it.” Lance frowned, as if something unpleasant had occurred to him.

“Is it possible that Azorius is working for Coil?” he suggested. Herberta considered it.

“Yeah, I mean, we considered it at first, but since Calvert founded it we assumed it was impossible… Unless Calvert himself was Coil!” Herberta shouted. “That explains why he dragged his feet on the equipment the night we were supposed to take down Shadow Stalker! He wanted her to escape, but also to feel betrayed. I bet he tipped her off, which is why she came in guns blazing.” Lance smiled.

“Why don’t we arrest him right now?” he asked. Herberta sighed.

“First off, his power makes him very lucky, and he has Carol believing he’s exactly what this city needs, and she’s actually a damn good lawyer, so we need more proof. Second, if we expose him, it’ll make the Mayor look like an idiot for hiring a supervillain. We need to figure out how to do this without destroying the city government’s reputation. Last, there’s a couple of things he can leverage into getting off scot-free.” She explained.

“What things?” Lance asked.

“You heard about the Alcott case, right?” Lance nodded.

“Mayor’s niece. Disappeared nearly four months ago. Was kept hush-hush.”

“Well it turns out, Miss Alcott triggered with one of the most powerful Thinker abilities on the planet. She predicted her own kidnapping and informed her parents to have the PRT brought in. I’m certain Coil abducted her, because I rescued another high-level Thinker from him before.” Herberta explained.

“Lisa.” Lance said.

“Right,” Herberta continued, “If Lisa is any indication, Dinah is now an addict, and Calvert will use that to force the Mayor to let him go. Then he’ll just skip town and try again somewhere else.” Lance sighed.

“Alright, so we can’t move on him now. I know a couple of people I can trust. I’ll have them start going over Azorius’ finances, see if we can’t whittle away at his power base in the meantime.” he suggested.

“And I’ll work on getting rid of his leverage.” Herberta said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Background: In this AU, Knives Out was released in 2009. It's different from the real one in that Marta is Persian and the Thrombeys have a different last name.
> 
> As far as the Winslow stuff, I was trying to show how Taylor's bullying could have gone unreported before Shadow Stalker became a Ward as well as show how shitty of a situation Winslow is in.


	38. Interlude 7.a-Kaiser

“What the hell is this, Max?” James thrust a copy of  _ Brockton Pride,  _ an LGBT publication focusing on Brockton Bay into Max’s face. It was flipped to an interview of his daughter.  _ Shit, I shouldn’t have let her give that interview,  _ Kaiser thought. 

“What do you think it is, James?” he asked innocently. James glared at him.

“It’s all the proof the Gesellschaft needs to authorize me to replace you.” James drew a knife from a sheath strapped to his back. “Seeing as your daughter’s a dyke.” Max scowled

“Careful,” he warned, “The last people who said anything like that are dead.” The door to his office opened, and Geoff, Hugh and Dorothy came in.

“You brought backup.” he remarked calmly, getting to his feet. “Good call.” He willed a stiletto to slide from the bottom of his desk.

“But still not enough.” he said, suddenly hurling the blade right between Hugh’s eyes. A moment later, Hugh’s head exploded as the metal blade expanded, tearing his brain to pieces. Hugh’s body fell to the ground. James swung his knife at him. Max formed a small shield of metal and blocked it. He willed the shield to suddenly expand, tossing James across the office. Geoff and Dorothy advanced on him.

“Last chance.” he warned. Geoff turned to mist and floated towards him. Max willed a cocoon of metal to form around the mist. He made the cocoon contract until it assumed the shape of a man, then crushed Geoff into paste. Dorothy screamed and charged him. He formed a spear and hurled it through her heart, pinning her to the far wall. Pausing to make sure Dorothy was really dead, he turned his attention back to James, who raised his knife.

“It’s over, Max.” he crowed. Max focused, and caused a glob of metal to fall from the ceiling, crushing James. 

“Indeed it is.” he remarked as he headed for the exit. Pulling out his phone, he dialed his ex-wife’s number.

“Kayden,” he said, “Take Thea and RUN. Gesellschaft found out about her.” He hung up and started sprinting off.


	39. Exposure 7.1

**_Herberta_** Monday, May 2, 2011

“... Shocking news this morning as the identities of the parahuman members of the Brockton Bay gang Empire Eighty-Eight were revealed publicly today. We go live to our parahuman affairs reporter, Aisha Stevenson. Aisha?” 

Herberta sat straight up in bed, startling Dani awake.

“What’s going on, honey?” she asked Herberta groggily, reaching to her nightstand to find her glasses.

“My workday just became a clusterfuck.” Herberta replied.

“That sucks. Now let me sleep.” Dani groaned and pulled her pillow over her head.

* * *

Herberta strode into the main conference room.

“Did I get drunk and sign a kill order on E88 last night?” she asked rhetorically. Hannah gave her a dirty look.

“Okay, not funny. But what are we doing?” she asked. Director Piggot stood up as Herberta sat down.

“We’ve picked up Kayden Russel’s kid, we’ve left a message at her home and work. We want her to come in, so we can help her out with dealing with this shitshow.” Herbetra coughed, and Piggot looked over at her.

“Question, are we worried she might see this as kidnapping?” she asked. Colin raised an eyebrow.

“She has a point, Director.” Piggot glared at him.

“We’ve left messages with the daycare service also, emphasizing that this was a protective measure…” Piggot trailed off as everyone turned to see Purity floating outside the conference room window.

“Where is my daughter?” she asked in a booming voice.

“Wards concourse.” Hannah said in a squeaky voice. Purity smiled.

“Thank you. I’ll just pick her up and then we can talk.” she said in a cheerful voice. “Do you mind if my ex-husband and stepdaughter come in? There is some information we need to tell you about.”

* * *

“So the Gesellschaft tried to murder you, because your daughter is gay and you were fine with that.?” Herberta asked Kaiser, AKA Max Anders, the CEO of Medhall Pharmaceuticals and a silent partner in several LGBT charities.  _ Well now I know why you were always a silent partner,  _ she thought.

“Thea being gay is why I killed my father. He found Thea writing what he thought was a love note to a girl and tried to beat her.” Anders said. “I intervened. I took over to avoid drawing scrutiny to his death. Hookwolf helped.”

“So you’re saying that leading a group of neo-Nazi’s was making the best of a bad situation?” Herberta asked pointedly.

“Pretty much. I also couldn’t destroy it, given what had happened to my father. It would seem suspicious. Empire Eighty-Eight was also, in many respects, my family. I suppose I was clinging to the notion that I might not have to choose between them or my daughter.” he said sadly.

“What is it you want from us?” Herberta asked him.

“Kayden would like to become part of the Protectorate. I personally think she’s a little enamoured of Miss Militia.” Max said. “And I think it might be best for Thea if I had a new identity, away from Brockton Bay.” 

“With her?” Herberta asked.

“Let’s leave that up to her.”

“We can’t really justify putting a former neo-Nazi into witness protection just because they didn’t actually believe the ideology. What can you offer us?” Herberta asked. Max smiled.

“Can I use your cell? I need to make a call to my lawyer.” he asked. Herberta sighed and handed her phone over, then stood to leave. In the observation room she watched as Max dialed a number and said a few short sentences, then hung up. He then waved at her through the two-way mirror, mouthing ‘come in’.

Re-entering the interrogation room, Herberta sat down silently as Max passed her phone back to her. After a long moment, he frowned.

“What’s with the silent treatment?” he asked.

“You asked for your lawyer. Can’t talk to you until they arrive.” Herberta explained. Max nodded in dawning comprehension.

“Oh, sorry, I should have clarified. I wasn’t calling my lawyer to ask him to come here. I called him to put a contingency of mine into motion.” Herberta’s phone chimed to indicate she had received an email. Max smiled.

“When I took over the Empire, I initially planned to reform it into an alternative to the ABB or Marquis’ group, but most definitely not a white-supremacist group. But I quickly discovered that my father had pledged the group to the Gesellschaft. And they would likely have disagreed with many of my decisions, and would have killed me if I opposed them. So I changed tactics. I didn’t implement my changes, save for an unofficial policy of decreased targeting of the LGBT community. I told the Gesellschaft it made the Empire seem more palatable to the public as well as allowing me to use my charities as a smokescreen for my identity. But I always assumed they might somehow discover evidence of my past relationships or lack of ideological purity.” He paused and gestured to Herberta’s phone.

“So I found a young lawyer, one who had a grudge against the Empire, and told him my story. After he broke my nose, I made him an offer. I’d provide him with the resources and information to catch a much bigger fish: how the Gesellschaft operates in America. I told him that since it was likely I’d either die in a cape fight or be murdered by the Gesellschaft, he would likely outlive me, and that when I died, he could release the information to the proper authorities, crippling the Gesellschaft from beyond the grave. He accepted. That was a little less than ten years ago. Over the years I fed him all the information I learned regarding the Gesellschaft. I think they might have become suspicious, hence the arrival of Krieg. But between the two of us, we believe we have a complete understanding of all of the Gesellschaft’s operations in the US,” he said, eyes glinting, “Including how their operatives are smuggled into the country. That email you received is all you would need to ensure every Gesellschaft cape sent to America winds up in containment foam before they can even leave the airport.” He leaned back in his chair.

“Is that worth enough for what I asked?” he said, smirking. Herberta smiled.

“I’ll check,” she said, “But I think we might have a deal.”

* * *

Herberta, Max and Kayden headed to the med bay, where Thea sat on an exam table.

“Hey dad, what’s up?” she asked. She was a little pudgy, with shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes. Terry, the head of medicine for the site smiled.

“Your daughter seems just fine. Could stand to exercise more, but other than that, I have no complaints.” she said cheerfully. Thea smiled.

“I told you all that specialty food was worth it, dad.” she said. Herberta gave Terry a look, and the doctor excused herself. Once the door was closed, Herberta turned to face Thea, Max and Kayden.

“Alright. I made some calls, and we can definitely do everything Max asked for. Kayden, the forms for you to join the PRT are printing as we speak. Clear your schedule, because there’s a lot. Now, Max, we’re going to relocate you to Boston. Kamil is an old friend and has reached a deal with Accord for you to be set up in his territory.” Max nodded as Kayden led Thea out.

“Thank you for doing this, I know it’s probably more than I deserve.” he said. Herberta shrugged.

“At least now I know why the Empire stopped going after LGBT people once Allfather died.” she remarked. 

“Yes, I was trying to avoid my daughter asking me why I hurt people like her.” Max replied dryly. Herberta chuckled.

“While you’re here, I might as well ask you something that’s bothered me for years. Who killed Iron Rain? We both know it wasn’t Marquis.” she asked.

“Hookwolf did. Eva walked in on us, threatened to tell my father. Discovered that threatening to out a living blender was a bad idea.” Max replied. Herberta gawked at him.

“Is anyone in the Empire leadership actually straight?” she asked. Max chuckled.

“I’m fairly sure Krieg is.” he remarked dryly. Herberta chuckled.

“I don’t know what’s weirder, that the leader of a Nazi gang is bi, or that the murders of his rivals had nothing to do with any internal power struggle.” she mused.

“Hey the first one’s not that surprising. Look at Hermann Goering.” Max retorted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, before anyone accuses me of making a Nazi a sympathetic character, I do want to point out that Kaiser's actions as a parent are a lot more harmful than he lets on. He forced his daughter to live in the closet because of his needs. He could have done this the minute Allfather was dead. He's portraying himself sympathetically, but he's not all that innocent.


	40. Exposure 7.2

**_Lisa_** Thursday, May 5, 2011

Lisa ducked under the police tape to stand beside Detective Lance.

The body they were looking at was of a bare-chested man in jeans. His head, however, was a mess of bone, brain and blood. A metal tiger mask lay on the ground beside the corpse. Lisa swallowed.

“Not a pleasant sight, to be sure.” she quipped. Lance shrugged. “Any clues on who did this?”

“Nope.” Lance admitted. “But this does have some similarities to some hits in other cities on parahumans dating back to around 2006. Single shot at point-blank range to a parahuman who should be able to sense anyone nearby. I’ll forward the files.”

* * *

“So, there have been instances of parahumans being killed out of costume, and local police haven’t been informing us?” Herberta asked, furious.

“Actually, the files were passed on to the PRT, but to a department I’ve never heard of. Department Omega?” Lisa said quizzically. “Ever heard of it?” she asked.

“I haven’t.” Herberta admitted. “Admittedly, I don’t have as high a security clearance as I could, due to my ‘checkered personal life’, but it’s still damn high. Something like this could theoretically be classified as Triumvirate- and Chief Director-only, but I don’t know why.”

“Maybe the assassins are former PRT.” Lisa suggested.

“I’ll ask Rebecca about it, but I make no guarantees.”

**_Herberta_ **

“I’m afraid I can’t provide any information the PRT might or might not have on these killers.” PRT Chief Director Rebecca Costa-Brown told Herberta as she hung up. Herberta turned to Lisa.

“I don’t believe it! She hung up on me! And I slept with her slutty cousin.” Herberta paused. “Ooooh. Maybe that’s why she hung up.” she mused. Lisa smiled.

“Well, Director Costa-Brown may have still given us a clue.” she said. “She said ‘killers’, plural. We can assume one or both of the killers is a Thinker, given that they have consistently surprised other capes who would have a Thinker rating. So why don’t we put up notable Thinker villains and rogues, see if we can’t make a list of suspects.”

* * *

Hours later, Herberta stared at the list they’d made.

“Well, this is no good. The only one left on the list is Harbinger, and she hasn’t been seen since ‘88.” she said, running a hand through her hair.

“I always assume someone’s alive until I’ve seen the body.” Lisa offered. 

“Well, let’s say it’s Harbinger who’s behind these killings. Going for the brain would fit her M.O. She was most well known for killing King of the Slaughterhouse Nine. She helped Jack Slash aim a blade edge up King’s nose, right through his corona pollentia. Point-blank shots to the head could be an extension of that, if you squint.” Herberta theorized. “Then who’s the second killer? Harbinger could snipe people from across the street if she wanted to. She has, in fact. So why would she need a partner?”

“Perhaps it’s not a professional partnership, but a romantic one? Maybe she found someone to replace Jack Slash.” Lisa suggested.

“Maybe, but I’m not sure. Let’s put this on the back burner for now. I doubt Harbinger is just killing neo-Nazi’s out of the goodness of her heart. And I’m betting these won’t be the last bodies to show up. Maybe we can find out who hired them.” Herberta replied.

“Kosher Nostra?”

“I wasn’t taking suggestions.”


	41. Exposure 7.3

**_Herberta_** Saturday, May 29, 2011

“...So we’re putting you on as a probationary member for three years. Normally it’s a minimum of five, but Director Armstrong in Boston vouched for some time already spent as a hero there.” Hannah was telling Kayden as Herberta rounded the corner.

“Hey Kayden. Is Hannah giving you the tour?” she asked. Kayden smiled.

“Yeah. While you’re here, I wanted to thank you for what you did for Thea. She and Max are doing great. Max gets along very well with Accord.” she said.

“That does not surprise me.” Herberta replied. “I’m glad I could help with Thea, though. Is she adjusting to Boston okay?” she asked.

“She’s doing great. She loves it there.” Kayden answered cheerfully. She was wearing a powder blue version of her old suit. Glenn had supervised her branding, and it had been decided that they should play up the redemptive aspect, hopefully mitigating Kayden’s past as a white-supremacist supervillain. It seemed to be working so far, as the number of irate phone calls had dropped.

“I’m headed to some crime scenes.” Herberta said. “Somebody’s going after the other Empire members. Yesterday, Crusader, Victor and Othala were all found dead, and apparently, someone saw a group of Israeli’s kidnap Hookwolf.” Kayden sighed. She looked like she wanted to be sad, but wasn’t sure if it was okay to.

“Hey, it’s okay to be sad they died.” Herberta said quickly, giving Kayden a pat on her shoulder, “They were your friends. No one here is going to judge you for mourning your friends. Ethan has gone to a bunch of funerals for old clients, and no one has judged him.” she paused. “Well, his wife gets pissy, but that’s more about how they met than a commentary on his life choices.” 

* * *

Herberta arrived at the crime scene just as the medical examiner was taking the body. She walked over and stood beside Lance, surveying the scene.

“So, does it look like the same M.O. to you?” Lance shrugged his shoulders.

“If you define the M.O. as ‘killed in a manner that makes their head explode’, then yes.” he said.

“Sarcasm isn't a good color on someone your age, detective.” Herberta told him.

“And how old is that?”

“Early sixties?” Herberta guessed.

“I’m thirty-four.” Lance said tersely.

“My mistake. But it’s clear we have one or more parahuman contract killers in the city. I’d suggest that your officers be careful. We don’t know who they are or what they can do.” Herberta turned and headed back the way she came.

* * *

Back at her office, Herberta was looking through the files on previous murders committed by the mystery assassins, when she heard a knock at her door. She looked up to see Taylor there.

“Hey, kiddo, what do you need?” she asked.

“I wanted to see if I could help.” Taylor offered. Herberta gestured for her to come over. As she looked over the files, she had a funny look on her face.

“What’s going on up there, kid?” Herberta asked.

“Well, I could be wrong, but all these files make it seem like whoever killed these people knew the exact right way to kill that particular parahuman. Take Stormtiger. The evidence suggests the killer struck using the wind to mask her scent. I wonder if the second killer has some power that lets them find blind spots or figure out how to do something perfectly.” Taylor said, adjusting her glasses.

“Like an auto-path to success?” Herberta asked.

“Yeah. It would mesh well with Harbinger’s math-based powers. She could calculate possible variables, shore up this other parahuman’s blind spots.” Taylor reasoned.

“I’ll look into it, see if I can find any instances of someone with powers like this.” Herberta said, closing a file folder. “Thanks for the help.”


	42. Exposure 7.4

**_Herberta_** Thursday, June 2, 2011

Herberta stood in the rain, looking across the street as Melody Jurist, AKA Cricket, drank coffee. She’d figured that Harbinger and this mystery parahuman would come after one of the few remaining Empire capes, and had placed watches on all of them. As she watched, a woman in a fitted black suit and a fedora came up and sat at Melody’s table. As they chatted, Herberta sent a quick text to Dani, letting her know she’d be home late. When she looked up, the woman in the suit was leading Melody over to an alleyway. Herberta activated her suit as she got up and walked over to the entrance of the alleyway, the suit integrating with her nervous system as she reached it.

Entering the alleyway, she saw the woman remove a stilleto from Melody’s chest. She turned and Herberta took a good look at the mysterious woman. She was attractive, a mix of Spanish and Italian, with wavy, shoulder-length black hair. When she saw Herberta, she smiled and pulled out a silenced pistol and emptied it at Herberta.

“Mother _ fucker _ !” she swore as the bullets tore holes in the chest of her suit. As the force field generators built into the lining generated a temporary replacement for the destroyed areas, she sprinted forward, throwing a punch at the woman. The woman pulled her arm up, stabbing her stiletto through Herberta’s wrist.

“Shit!” she yelled, “Who the hell are you?” The woman smiled and kicked Herberta in the ribs. As Herberta tumbled to the ground, she caught the woman’s pant leg with the knife blade poking through her wrist, pulling the woman to the ground in front of her. Before the woman could get to her feet, Herberta pulled out her pistol, switching to beanbag rounds. She opened fire as the woman dropped into a crouch and hurled her empty pistol at Herberta’s forehead. It bounced off the forcefield that protected her face, obscuring her vision for a moment. Which was all the mystery woman needed to draw a second pistol and empty it into Herberta. She felt the armor-piercing rounds tear through her suit and put a hand to her chest. Her hand came away red and wet. She dimly realized it was blood a moment later as she fell back on the ground, her pistol falling out of her hand.

“If I’m gonna die soon,” she said weakly, activating the recorder in her helmet, “Do you mind telling me who you are? To satisfy a woman’s curiosity?” The woman paused and smiled sadly.

“I have many names, but I will give you the most common, Contessa.” She walked away as Herberta heard sirens behind her. The edges of her vision began to darken as she saw the blurry figure of Detective Lance rush over. 

Then everything collapsed into blackness.

**_Taylor_ **

“The doctors say she’s still in critical condition. They said her lungs were perforated and that she got shot in the liver.” her mom said as she paced through the waiting room of the PRT medical wing.

“Mom, Amy is ten minutes away. When she gets here, Herbie will be fine. I think some of the best doctors in the country should be able to keep her alive for ten minutes or until Amy gets…” Taylor was interrupted by Amy rushing into the waiting room, wearing a bathrobe and meerkat slippers. As Taylor and her mom stared at her, Amy gave them a weird look.

“What? Herberta gave them to me years ago.” she sighed and headed for the operating theater.

* * *

After about ten minutes, Amy exited the operating theater, her arms covered in blood up to her elbows.

“She’s stable.” she announced tiredly. “If no one has any objections, I’m gonna go take a shower and go back to sleep. Vic? I’m ready to go.” she called out. Victoria poked her head through the door and waved awkwardly. As Amy left, Taylor headed for the recovery suite with her mom.

Herberta, to be honest, looked like shit. Her right wrist was held up by a strap connected to the ceiling. Her chest was covered in bandages, and she was pale from blood loss.

“Hey guys. I hope I didn’t scare you.” she said weakly.

“WHAT THE HELL!” Taylor’s mom shouted. “You could have died! What were you thinking?” Taylor saw Herberta scowl.

“Dani, I was doing my job.” she said testily, “I alerted the police the minute I got involved, I wasn’t in any danger.”

“Like hell you weren’t!” Taylor’s mom shot back. “The only reason you aren’t looking at months of physical therapy is because of Panacea, who only got called in because you nearly died on the operating table. Do you have any idea what it would have done to me if you died? To Taylor?”

“Well, I’m alive aren’t I?” Herberta retorted. Her mom made an incoherent strangled noise of rage and stormed out of the recovery room. Taylor sat down by Herberta’s bed.

“You were kind of rude to her, you know.” she told the older woman. “She’s terrified of you dying. Not from something mundane, like my mom, but of turning on the news and seeing that you died.”

“I know.” Herberta said. “Believe me, it’s come up in previous relationships with people who knew I was a cape. My dad made me call him every time I went out as Artificer. I hated it at the time, but now? I just miss it. It’s not easy being with a cape. You wonder every time they leave, ‘Is this the last time I see them alive?’ It’s really stressful. When your mom calms down, I’ll talk to her. But I’m not giving this up.” Taylor put a hand on the bed’s railing.

“I know.” she said. “But please try to respect her feelings. She’s already lost one woman she loved, I think she’s terrified of losing another.” Herberta sighed, looking suddenly older than she ever had.

“I know.”


	43. Exposure 7.5

**_Herberta_** Saturday, June 12, 2011

“This blows.” Herberta remarked to Amy as she sat on the medbay bed. “It’s Taylor’s birthday, and I might miss it.” Amy frowned.

“I find your lack of faith in my abilities… annoying.” she intoned in a deep voice. Herberta chuckled.

“All right, cool it, Darth Panacea.” she quipped. Amy smiled.

“Come to the dark side, we have cookies.” she continued. Herberta giggled.

“Thanks for cheering me up. Things have been a little tense between Dani and I since I nearly died.” They had talked, after Dani had calmed down, and had managed to have a civil conversation about their feelings. She was still sleeping on the couch because, as Dani had told her, she was still an “enormous dumbass”. But, for the most part, Dani had forgiven her and hadn’t given her an ultimatum about choosing between cape life and her. 

“Anyway, you’re good to go.” Amy told her. 

* * *

As Herberta headed for the PHQ lobby to check out, she ran smack into Colin in the hallway.

“Whoa, Herbie.” he said, startled. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. Panacea just cleared me. Listen, I need a favor.” Herberta asked. Colin crossed his arms.

“What do you need?” he asked, eyebrow raised.

“I need to borrow your lie detector tech.” Herberta explained.

“Sure.” Colin smiled, suspicion draining from his expression. “Can I ask what for?”

“I have to ask a bureaucrat some questions.” Colin chuckled.

“Say no more. It’s in my workshop. Try not to get shit all over it, please?” he asked.

“No promises.”

* * *

After finding Colin’s lie detector, Herberta went to her workshop to integrate it into her glasses. Putting the module on her work desk, she looked it over. She had learned over the years that, in addition to being able to replicate effects and traits with her powers, she also tended to replicate the styles of other Tinkers she worked with.

Because of this, Armsmaster’s lie detector module would fit easily into her suit’s helmet. But modifying it for her glasses would take some time. Then something occurred to her. Looking around, she found a data cable. Hooking up the module to her computer, she opened the software and looked through Colin’s scrupulous documentation. Checking the hardware requirements, she realized she could modify the software to run on her glasses. Grabbing another data cable, she hooked up her glasses to her computer. Transferring the program to her glasses, she unhooked the glasses. Slipping them into her jacket pocket, she left the room. If she hurried, she could make it to Taylor’s party.

* * *

“Why did you call me here?” Alexandria asked. The superhero had her arms crossed as she floated above the PRT headquarters. Herberta floated beside her, thanks to a jetpack module attached to the back of her suit. It took the form of two foot-long blades extending from her shoulder blades, and two smaller blades extending from the small of her back.

“I had some questions about an assassin who nearly killed me. I found evidence of previous hits, but they’re classified as part of some PRT department, Department Omega. Have you heard of it?” she asked. Alexandria frowned.

“No, I can’t say that I do.” she said.  _ Lying. Has heard of the department,  _ her glasses told her.

“Does the name Contessa mean anything to you?” Herberta asked. Alexandria shook her head.  _ Lying. Name means a lot to her, knows person on a personal level. _

“Okay, it was worth a shot. I’ll talk to the Chief Director next.” Herberta said curtly as she directed her flight pack to take her back to headquarters.


	44. Interlude 7.b-Krieg & PHO

James stood in what was previously Kaiser’s office and seat of power. Things had not gone well, what with Max killing his most loyal allies and this mysterious killer taking out the rest. He was going to need more capes. Dismissing Fenja and Menja, he picked up the phone on the desk, dialed a number, and put the phone on speaker.

_ “What is it?”  _ came the Swedish-accented voice of his superior.

“My forces have been depleted, for various reasons.” James explained. “I require reinforcements.” He heard a sigh over the phone.

_ “And why should I help someone who can’t even complete a simple mission?”  _ his superior asked. James sighed. When would his boss realize there was a reason Max had remained in control of Empire Eighty-Eight for nearly seven years? Namely, that he was absolutely ruthless.

“Because, if you bothered to invest actual resources here, you’d have a beachhead for the Gesellschaft in America.” he offered.

_ “True. But, to ensure things go according to plan, I will be watching you very closely” _

“Yes, sir.”

  
  
  


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**♦** Topic: Resources for Friends, Family and Loved Ones of Capes

In: Boards  **►** Relationships  **► Restricted Threads**

**Davey_Jones (** Cape Spouse **)**

Posted on August 12th, 2003

Hey everyone!

I started this thread because I just started dating a cape. I hope that people who love and care about can use this forum to share issues and concerns that matter to them.

**(Displaying page 455 of 457)**

**► EugeneVDani** (Cape Wife)

Posted on June 4th, 2011

My girlfriend is a Protectorate member, and last night, she got seriously injured. I can’t say how badly, but it was BAD. I’m terrified for her and also really pissed at her for putting herself in danger. Does anyone have any advice?

**► Honey_Lemon_Girl** (Cape Geek)

Replied on June 4th, 2011

If you’re dating who I think you are, first, congratulations. Second, I’d say that your girlfriend is hopelessly heroic, so don’t ask her to choose. If you’re honest about your feelings, she’ll be fine, and will take your feelings into account in the future.

**► Hey_Jessie**

Replied on June 4th, 2011

@ Honey_Lemon_Girl is right. Communication is essential in any relationship. You should share your concerns with her, but be careful not to make it seem like you blame her for those concerns.

**► Accord** (Verified Cape)

Posted on June 4th, 2011

Excellent advice. I have applied my intellect to this problem. You should request she sleep on the couch for 3 (three) nights afterward, so as to communicate your frustration as well.

**► Honey_Lemon_Girl** (Cape Geek)

Replied on June 4th, 2011

Boss? Why are you commenting on this thread? Aren’t you in a meeting right now?

**► Accord** (Verified Cape)

Replied on June 4th, 2011

I was bored, and this is a far better use of my time.

**► [User perma-banned by MUSHU (Admin) for Fallen association]**

**► [User perma-banned by MUSHU (Admin) for Fallen association]**

**► [User perma-banned (With Prejudice) by MUSHU (Admin) for Fallen association]**

**► Gregson3**

Posted June 4th, 2011

WTH? Why did the Fallen spam this thread? 

End of page.  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 …  454 , 455,  456


	45. Interlude 7.c-Hannah

Hannah woke up. She’d been having a “dream” about the day she’d triggered. She took a moment to examine her surroundings. She was in her apartment bedroom. Her sheets were a little damp, and Kayden was curled against her, her head buried between Hannah’s neck and shoulder. As Hannah shifted to find a more comfortable sleeping position, Kayden woke up and smiled sleepily.

“I hope you have no complaints about my performance last night.” she whispered in Hannah’s ear. Hannah shivered and blushed.

“I do not. But I am curious how a nice neo-Nazi girl like you wound up kissing brown girls.” she said playfully. She felt Kayden stiffen against her.

“Actually, I grew up in a white-supremacist family.” she said nervously, “I wouldn’t have called it that growing up, but that’s what they were. I knew I was bi when I was thirteen and started having erotic dreams involving Nancy Reagan and Ronald Reagan. So I hid it, and kept the fact that I enjoyed the dreams with Nancy just a tiny bit more. Then came the Matthew Sheppard case, where I learned my parents didn’t hate gay people, but weren’t exactly sympathetic.” Hannah frowned.

“How so?” she asked.

“They thought that as a gay person in Wyoming, he should have anticipated something like this happening. It was that realization that eventually led to my trigger event. After triggering, I ran away. Then I met Max.” Kayden sighed. “He was fine with my prejudices, but it was Thea who helped me move past them. One of the first girls she had a crush on was black and I asked a mildly racist question about her. She glared at me and explained what was wrong about what I said, and I felt really shitty because she looked like she couldn’t believe she had to explain that what I’d asked was wrong. After I met the girl, I realized she wasn’t all that different from me. I decided then to start trying to be less prejudiced.” Hannah chuckled.

“I’d say it’s working.” she told Kayden.

“Maybe. I still feel like I have a ways to go.” Kayden said. “Hey, You want me to make some breakfast?”

“Sure.”

* * *

After finishing some excellent scrambled eggs, Hannah and Kayden got dressed, Hannah in slacks and a cardigan, and Kayden in her jeans and t-shirt from the night before. As Kayden stood at the door, she turned to Hannah.

“This was nice. I’d love to do this again.” she said before leaving. Hannah sipped her coffee. As she looked through the paper, her phone rang. Picking up she said, “Kayden, did you forget something?”

“No, but I’m not Kayden, so that might be why.” came Herberta’s voice from the other end. “Glad to know you’re getting along so well with our newest member.”

“Oh don’t judge me.” Hannah warned. “Besides wouldn’t that be the pot calling the kettle black, what with you and Citrine?”

“True, but we’re getting off topic. I need you and Kayden to come in today. Tell no one.”

“Okay, why all the cloak and dagger?” Hannah asked.

“I’ll explain at the meeting.” Herberta said, then hung up.

* * *

As Hannah and Kayden filed into the secure conference room, Hannah looked around the table. Director Piggot was there, as was Colin. Lisa and Taylor were there, along with a projection of a young Canadian, who Hannah figured was Dragon. Herberta entered the room and closed the door.

“Alright. Thanks for coming, I will be quick. I think I discovered a conspiracy inside the PRT.” Director Piggot raised her hand.

“Yes?” Herberta asked.

“Is this related to the assassins we’ve been tracking?” Herberta nodded.

“Yes. I discovered the reports on similar cases were sent to a PRT department I’d never heard of, Department Omega. When I asked Director Costa-Brown about it, I was told no such department exists. When I asked Alexandria, using Colin’s lie detector, she denied it as well, and it registered as a lie on the detector. So, I now know the Director lied to me. But what I don’t know is what she lied about. Which is why all of you are here.” Herberta gestured to everyone at the table.

“Kayden is here because she has no previous ties to the PRT. Everyone else is here because I trust you with my life. At the advice of Director Piggot, I am requesting that we keep this investigation secret. If I’m wrong, we just did something stupid for no reason, but if I’m right, this could save our lives.” Colin raised a hand.

“Yes, Colin?” Herberta responded.

“So what do we know?”

“We know that there is apparently a pair of parahuman assassins that consists of Harbinger, formerly of the Slaughterhouse Nine, and an unidentified parahuman who told me she’d been called Contessa. Taylor has suggested that this Contessa might have a Thinker ability that lets her create a successful plan to complete a task. Harbinger’s powers we already know. We also know they’ve been active since around 2006. Lisa has been combing through the cases Lance gave us to get a sense of their movements.” Herberta explained, gesturing to Lisa. “Additionally, I plan to reach out to some of the senior PRT directors who owe me and ask if any of them have heard of Department Omega. I’ll start with Armstrong and work my way down the list.” Herberta exhaled. “Now if anyone has any…” She trailed off as the lights in the room turned red and a cool female voice rang out.

“Leviathan spotted heading toward Boston. Estimated time to arrival is two hours.”

“Oh fucking COME ON!” Herberta swore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And after Leviathan, we're no longer sticking to canon. Hold on to your hats, folks.


	46. Leviathan Battle

So, for the Leviathan battle, I'm doing something different and am going to be describing what happens. This is because this arc just wouldn't fit together and eventually, I decided to move on. If anyone has a question about something happening, put it in a comment and I'll answer it.

**Lead-Up**

There was going to be a flashback to Accord seeing the Simurgh die and wondering if he could make a plan to kill Leviathan and finding out that he could. He contacts Herbie and tells her that he developed a plan and that for it to work, she would need to have certain Tinkertech at her disposal.

In Stafford, Edict and Licit receive a message from Armstrong to get Damsel of Distress to come to the fight, which they manage by appealing to her ego.

Herbie and Armsmaster go to see Lung, who's being held while awaiting trial. They offer to keep him from being Birdcaged, if he fights Leviathan. He agrees.

**The Plan**

Once everyone is assembled in Boston, Accord lays out his plan. He designates certain people as priorities, who need to be kept alive at all costs. They are Flechette, Armsmaster, Damsel, Lung and Sundancer. He explains that he cannot prevent any deaths, but those who die will effectively be taking Leviathan with them.

Lung is equipped with armor that contains nanothorn claws. As he grows, a satellite Herbie launched sends bigger versions to him( a la MCU Hulkbuster). 

Taylor is assigned to help track Leviathan with her bugs. Lisa stays with the rest of the Thinkers and Amy is assigned to medical, as usual

**The Fight**

Leviathan arrives. His first wave is blocked by various forcefields and everyone gets to work. Lung ramps up to Leviathan-size and starts tearing into him, while the various Thinkers use their powers to help him make the most of his attacks. Narwhal works with Armsmaster to help him use his nanothorn halberd to full effect(Think Doctor Strange and Star-Lord in _Infinity War_ ). Lily is given Bakuda bomb-based ammo and is set to snipe at Leviathan. Sundancer is paired with Laserdream and uses her sun to evaporate Leviathans water echo and waves. As the battle goes on, Lung begins to expose Leviathan's core. Once that happens, Herberta uses a grenade launcher that mimics Flechette's power to fire a black-hole bomb at the core, creating an opening to the parallel reality inside. At that point, Sundancer and Damsel are instructed to use their powers to full effect on the core. They do, eventually destroying the core. When that happens, Leviathan is effectively dead, a state made absolute when Lung rips its head off.

**What happens to various Characters**

Armsmaster- Seriously injured when he attempted to attack Leviathan head-on. Loses an arm and his legs below the knee to a wave.

Miss Militia- Alive, minor injuries.

Penance(Purity)- Alive, minor injuries.

Triumph- Alive, minor injuries.

Assault and Battery- Dead, crushed by a wave.

Velocity- Dead, as in canon.

Dauntless- Sacrifices himself to use time-bubble bomb to block Leviathan, gains Armsmaster's respect.

Herbie- Alive, no injuries.

Taylor- Alive, minor injuries.

Lisa- Alive, no injuries.

Aegis- Dead, as in canon.

Clockblocker- Alive, minor injuries.

Gallant- Alive, seriously injured, but healed by Panacea.

Vista- Alive, minor injuries.

Kid Win- Alive, no injuries, got to use Alternator Cannon(This was a pretty good day for him).

Glory Girl- Alive, no injuries

Brandish and Flashbang- Alive, minor injuries. Still divorced.

Laserdream- Alive, minor injuries. Talks to Sundancer about something during the victory celebration.

Lady Photon and Manpower- Dead, sheared in half by water echo(Died having reconciled, though).

Shielder- Dead, as in canon.

Travelers- Alive, minor injuries.

Fenja and Menja- Dead, literally ripped in half by Leviathan getting Armsmaster to safety.

Oni Lee- Dead via nuclear suicide bomb.

Accord- Alive, no injuries and smug as hell.

Citrine- Alive and not really comfortable talking to Herbie.

Ambassadors- Alive, minor injuries.

And that was my outline of the Leviathan battle. Next post is taking away from canon and exploring those crossover events in the tags.


	47. Disruption 8.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a link to a clip of the Silicon Valley theme for when Dragon and Herbie arrive.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02vkjfRs6dw
> 
> Content Warning for a disturbing nightmare at the beginning

**_Taylor/Lisa_** Sunday, June 26, 2011

_“Lisa Wilbourn deceased, A-6, Artificer deceased, A-6.”_

_Taylor stood in the middle of the street, as Leviathan stalked towards her. Looking around, she saw Miss Militia and Armsmaster, Penance and Velocity laying there, dead. She ran, sprinting away from the Endbringer, but was stopped by a massive tidal wave that pushed her back towards the monster. Before she could do anything, she was blasted into the air by a waterspout which carried her into Leviathan's claws. As Leviathan began to squeeze, Taylor felt water filling her lungs as her ribs began to crack…_

* * *

“AAAHHHH!” Taylor screamed, shooting up in her bed. Lisa’s eyes snapped open and she sat up beside Taylor, putting a hand on her shoulder to guide her back onto the bed. As Taylor lay in bed, whimpering, Lisa rubbed circles in her back.

“It’s okay, honey. It was just a nightmare.” she whispered as Taylor sobbed into her shoulder. The bedroom door opened and Herberta leaned in through the doorway.

“Another one?” she asked tiredly. Lisa nodded.

**_Herberta_ **

“She had another one.” Herberta told Dani as she returned to their bedroom. Dani sighed and put her head in her hands.

“God.” she said. “I hate this. I shouldn’t have let her go to Boston.” Herberta sat down on the bed and put an arm around Dani.

“You couldn’t have stopped her. Besides, Yamada is coming in to talk to everyone. Make sure she goes to the sessions, and she’ll be fine.” Herberta told her. Dani looked over at her.

“Why can’t you take her?” she asked.

“I have to get to the airport to go to California, remember?” Herberta reminded her. Dragon had been attacked by Saint shortly after Leviathan was killed. In response, Dragon had resolved to get Richter’s safeguards removed, once and for all. She’d enlisted Herberta in getting some Tinkers out in Silicon Valley to help out. She’d identified a start-up funded by a former Watchdog employee, Peter Gregory, called Pied Piper. The company was working on a serverless Internet design and consisted of a couple of low-level Tinkers and a couple of non-parahumans on the business side.

“Oh, right. Sorry. Do you need a ride to the airport?” Dani asked. 

“Nah. I can get a ride with Dragon.” Herberta answered as Dani turned over and lay back down.

“I’m going to try and get some sleep while my daughter has nightmares down the hall.” she said as she shoved a second pillow over her head.

* * *

Monday afternoon, Herberta was driving down a road in suburban Palo Alto in a rented sedan with one of Dragon’s bodies in the passenger seat. They were parked outside a one-story house with a minivan parked outside with “Aviato” emblazoned across the side.

“Are you sure this is the place? It looks like a shithole.” Herberta asked. Dragon looked over at her with an annoyed expression.

“Appearances can be deceiving.” she said tartly. “These guys have managed to develop a revolutionary way to compress data, and are well on their way to building an Internet that doesn’t require server hosting space. Their idea could revolutionize the way we use the Internet.”

“And yet they still live here.” Herberta remarked.

“Please, just shut up and be nice.”

* * *

Entering the house, Herberta was struck by how much the inside looked like her old apartment. _What does that say about me?_ she wondered. She and Dragon were shown into a central room by a hefty red-headed man with the stupidest muttonchop and goatee combo Herberta had ever seen. Herberta saw three guys seated at computers, typing away. The first one she noticed had long dark hair and a scruffy beard, and was wearing a large quantity of rings. The second was an Indian man with chubby cheeks and a pouty expression. The last was a youngish man with curly auburn hair and a thin beard, who was wearing a hoodie.

“Hello, I am Erlich Bachmann, board member of Pied Piper.” the redhead introduced himself. He gestured to the various Tinkers.

“That’s Gilfoyle.” he said pointing to the long-haired man. “That’s Dinesh.” he indicated the Indian guy. “And the young man there is Richard Hendricks, the genius behind this operation.” Erlich finished, patting the auburn-haired young man. Gilfoyle turned around and gave Herberta and Dragon an appraising look.

“Who’re these guys?” he asked dryly. “I thought we were set on investors.”

“We’re not investors.” Dragon told him. “We were actually hoping to ask you to consult on something.”

“We’re busy.” Gilfoyle turned back to his computer. Herberta looked over at Erlich, who shrugged his shoulders. Herberta leaned over.

“Where’s the fuse box in this place?” she asked.

“Garage.” Erlich answered.

“Their stuff is backed up, right?”

“Yeah.” Herberta headed into the garage and, after a moment of searching, located the fuse box. Finding the circuit-breakers for the guys computers, she flipped the breakers, cutting the power to said computers. Moments later, she heard groans and shouts of ‘what the fuck?’. 

Heading back into the ‘computer room’, Herberta was surprised to see all three Tinkers standing and glaring at her.

“What the fuck?” Gilfoyle asked in a deadpan tone.

“Are you guys paying attention now?” Herberta asked angrily. The three Tinkers shrunk back. “Good. Now listen to what Dragon has to say. I’m going to restore power to your computers.” With that, she strode back towards the garage.

When she returned, the three tinkers were standing there, waiting.

“What are you guys waiting for?” she asked, anger creeping into her voice.

“We’re waiting for our computers to come back on, so we can take a look at Dragon’s code, find out what we’re dealing with.” Gilfoyle answered contemptuously. As they waited, they heard a car pull up. Moments later, two people stepped in. The first was a rather tall man in a button-down shirt and sweater vest with pale blue eyes. The second was a young woman in a skirt suit and a blazer. She had dark hair and brown eyes and was looking at Herberta with a dumbfounded expression.

“Monica?” Herberta asked.


	48. Disruption 8.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning for mention of an attempted date rape.

**_Herberta_** Monday, June 27, 2011

“How do you know Monica?” Erlich asked. Herberta sighed. She glanced over at Monica, who nodded almost imperceptibly.

“Monica used to work with me at Watchdog.” she glanced at Monica again, who gave another nod. “Monica and I were also… together.” she heard Erlich say “Called it.” and glared at him.

“Anyway, I haven’t seen her in a while, and it was a surprise to see her.” Monica said awkwardly. Richard stammered incomprehensibly.

“A-anyway, we should, uh, get working on, uh, looking into Dragon’s code.” he stuttered. Gilfoyle nodded and began rooting through a box of cables.

“Do you have a USB port or do you use HDMI?” he asked.

* * *

As the three Tinkers worked on Dragon’s code, Herberta motioned to Monica and the both of them headed out back. Standing by the pool, Monica lit a cigarette and took a long drag, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

“That’s really bad for you.” Herberta chided. Monica sighed.

“Nicotine helps me shift into my Breaker state. Helps me... not lose control as easily.” she said tiredly.

“You also do it when you’re stressed. What’s going on?” Herberta asked.

“Pied Piper’s getting sued by Hooli for IP violations. They’re squeezing out funding and making it impossible to move forward on anything. My punching bag has a picture of Gavin Belson on it.” Monica fumed, her eyes and hair glowing blue. “He reminds me exactly why I avoided men for so long.” she muttered. 

“What’s his deal? I know he’s kind of ruthless, but do you think something’s up?” Herberta asked. Monica had good instincts when it came to finding Thinkers, which had served her well as an analyst at Watchdog.

“He could be a Thinker or a Master. He has a weird knack for getting the best deal possible, even when it doesn’t make financial sense.” Monica mused. “But how would he have gotten past Watchdog? No one’s ever gotten past them before.” Herberta shrugged.

“Anything’s possible. Maybe he triggered recently, and they haven’t latched on to him yet.” she suggested. Monica gave her a skeptical look.

“So maybe he has a minor Trump or Stranger power that screens him. We don’t know anything until we do some recon.” Monica nodded in agreement.

“Want to get out of here?” she asked.

* * *

A half hour drive later, Herberta and Monica pulled up at Hooli headquarters.

“So how do we do this? The old fake meeting play?” Herberta asked. Monica nodded.

“You should do the meeting, though.” she added. “Gavin knows my face.” Herberta smiled and nodded.

Heading inside, Herberta strode up to the reception desk and left her name with the receptionist, then sat down at the waiting area. Five minutes later, the receptionist came over and told her that Gavin Belson could see her for five minutes. Following the receptionist to Gavin’s office, she sat down in one of the guest chairs as Gavin entered the room. 

He didn’t look like much. He wore a tailored suit and was starting to go bald, though his brown hair wasn’t turning gray. He looked like the prototypical billionaire.

“Hello, Artificer.” he said in a low voice. “I’ll admit I was surprised to hear you wanted to meet me. But consider my curiosity piqued.” He steepled his fingers. “So what brings you to my neck of the woods?”

“I heard you were trying to acquire this one company, Pied Piper. I’m here to tell you that the PRT has an interest in using their product internally, and we’d like for you to drop your lawsuit.” Herberta said, activating her “Tattletale” system she’d built into her helmet as she did.

_ Sociopathic personality, megalomaniacal and egotistical. Always assumes he’s the smartest in the room. _

_ So he definitely has the mindset of a Thinker, but is he one?  _ She thought. Gavin smiled.

“I can’t do that. Hooli has to set an example regarding IP issues. Perhaps you would be willing to enter a licensing deal? Maybe 10K a year?” Herberta felt something wash over her. Ten grand sounded pretty reasonable, when you thought about… it. Herberta hit a button on the wrist of her armor and felt a wave of clarity wash over her, replacing her sense of agreeableness with white-hot fury. She stood up.

“Did you just try to fucking  _ Master  _ me?” she asked, stepping forward, energy crackling from the aperture of her wrist blaster. Gavin shot to his feet and backed up hurriedly.

“You can’t prove that!” he sputtered, pointing at her. Herberta glared at him and turned on her heel, striding out of the office.

* * *

Arriving at her car, Herberta saw Monica standing outside, cigarette in hand.

“Did you get into the servers?” Herberta asked her. Monica beamed.

“Piece of cake.” she said. “I borrowed one of Richard’s drives to store all their data on. Corporate espionage, just like riding a bike, huh?”

“Yeah. Let’s get going before he siccs security on us.” Herberta replied.

* * *

“He’s a Master?” Monica shouted, standing by the pool, smoking a cigarette. Herberta shushed her.

“Geez, don’t tell everyone!” she said frantically. Erlich came out the patio door and waved as he walked over. 

“Are you two…” he made scissoring motions with both hands. Herberta sighed as Monica turned and glared at him.

“I have no issue if you are and would be…” Erlich trailed off as Monica transformed.

She changed from a dark-haired woman of average height into a mass of glowing blue tendrils arranged in the vague shape of a woman. The tendrils making up her arm extended out and grabbed Erlich, hoisting the portly man into the air. 

“ _ Howoo-Hoowo _ ” she said in a haunting melody. Erlich gave Herberta a confused look.

“She’s basically telling you to be less of a sexist pig before she drowns you in your own pool.” Herberta told him. Erlich nodded rapidly as Monica set him down. She shifted back and sat down in a lawn chair.

“Would you like to explain what the hell just happened?” he asked, a slight note of anger slipping into his voice.

“I’m a parahuman, there’s nothing else to say.” Monica said tiredly, lighting a new cigarette and taking a long drag.

“I meant the part where you threatened to drown me! I know you care not for the male form, but that seemed excessively hostile.” Erlich said. Monica screamed incoherently.

“You don’t fucking get it!” she shouted at him, her eyes glowing blue. Erlich took several steps back as Herberta placed a hand on Monica’s shoulder.

“I think Erlich might be missing some information here, which is causing him to jump to conclusions. Do you want to explain, or should I?” she asked quietly.

“You tell him.” Monica said simply, walking over to the other side of the pool. Erlich walked over.

“I’ve never seen her like this. What’s going on?” he asked.

“In college, Monica went to a party and was drugged with Tinker-made drugs. The guy who drugged her then tried to assault her…” Herberta trailed off as Erlich realized her meaning.

“And I probably remind her of that douchebag.” he said. “ Fuck. No wonder she threatened to drown me. Tell me they at least got the guy.” Seeing Herberta’s downcast expression, he sighed. “Fuck. At least tell me they got a name.” Herberta gave him a confused look.

“I have three Tinkers specialized in CS, whose combined skills would be able to make this guy’s life hell. He’s not getting away with this.” He told her. Herberta gave him the name and Erlich strode back toward the house.

* * *

Reentering the house, Herberta followed Erlich into the computer room.

“Gentlemen, cease your work on Miss Dragon. We have a new project.” he said. Gilfoyle, Dinesh and Richard all looked up. 

“I have just learned that a man named Ryan Nelson once attempted to cause severe harm to our dear Monica. This insult cannot go unanswered. I’d like to request that you all devote your various skills to wreaking terrible vengeance on her behalf. Yes, Gilfoyle?” he said in response to Gilfoyle raising a hand.

“Did she file a complaint against him?” the longer-haired Tinker asked. “Because that would make identifying him easier and wouldn’t require me programming Anton to look for subjective characteristics.”

“She did file a complaint.” Herberta confirmed. Gilfoyle smiled and began typing.

“I can track down his devices and send him a phishing email with malware.” Richard said. “Really, the only question we need answered is what to do to him.” Dinesh smiled.

“I can handle that. So here’s what we’ll do…” Herberta stepped out of the room and headed outside. Monica was still smoking.

“I explained what happened to Erlich, and he just pulled Richard, Dinesh and Gilfoyle off what they were doing to get revenge for you.” Herberta told her. 

“Really?”

“Yeah. If you have any suggestions for what you want them to do, I’m sure they’d love your input.” Herberta said. Monica smiled.

“I guess Erlich isn’t that bad after all.” she said.

“Yeah, he’s a douche, but he’s not a monster.” Herberta replied. “Anyway, I think I figured out a way to deal with Gavin Belson.”

* * *

After Monica instructed the guys to frame Ryan for embezzlement, she and Herberta headed to Ravinga Capital’s office. Standing in the parking lot, Herberta turned to Monica and explained her plan.

“We’re going to have one of Ravinga’s people call in an anonymous tip on Belson and trigger a Watchdog investigation. That should get some of the pressure off of you guys, keep you in the running.” she said. “Can you think of anyone you trust to not rat you out the minute things get tough?” she asked. 

“Laurie Bream. She’s basically a female Peter.” Monica replied. 

“With all the high-functioning weirdness that implies.” Herberta remarked. Monica smiled.

“She’s actually not that bad, once you get to know her. Plus,” she said bashfully, “She’s kinda cute.” Herberta sighed.

“Let’s go meet this woman who has entranced you so.” she said teasingly.

* * *

As it turned out, Laurie Bream was a forty-something brunette with an affect that Herberta would describe as bland.

“So. You are saying that Gavin Belson is a Master, and has not disclosed this, in violation of NEPEA-5, and you want me to report him to Watchdog, so as to avoid retribution against Pied Piper and Monica.” she said matter-of-factly. 

“Yes.” Herberta replied. “Will you do it?” she asked. Laurie gave her an impassive look. 

“I will do it, mainly because I have a great deal of regard for Monica, and because I detest any sort of malfeasance of this kind.” she said tonelessly.

“Okay.” Herberta said in surprise. She’d honestly expected a lot more resistance. She stood up with Monica and exited the office. As soon as she was sure she was out of earshot, she turned to Monica and burst out laughing.

“Really? You have a thing for lady Terminator?” she asked through giggles. Monica turned red and stammered.

“Don’t judge me!” she shot back. “You know full well I have a thing for older women.” Herberta giggled.

“Well, now we know you have a type: older brunettes who radiate competence.” she teased. Monica chuckled.

“Maybe.” she said with a smile. “I’m going to miss you when you head back to Brockton Bay.” Herberta smiled sadly.

“Yeah, I’ll miss you too.” she said. “Back to Dani.” Monica raised an eyebrow.

“Who’s Dani?” she asked.

“My girlfriend.” Herberta sat down on a bench and sighed. “It’s just… her daughter is a cape and she’s having nightmares, and I think she’s blaming me for it.” Monica sat down beside her.

“Did you throw yourself into this as a way of avoiding difficult shit?” the brunette asked. When Herberta gave her an annoyed look, Monica raised an eyebrow. “And don’t tell me that’s not what you’re doing. I know you.” she said. Herberta sighed.

“Maybe? I don’t know. All I really know is that I feel crappy.” she told Monica. Monica gave her an unamused look.

“Have you considered talking about it with Dani?” she asked. “Maybe Dani thinks you’re pretending it’s not happening. Is it possible that she’s less mad that you don’t know what to do, and more angry that you won’t talk to her about it?” 

“Well, now I just feel stupid.” Herberta said.

“It’s fine. Just because you’re a Thinker doesn’t mean you’ve gotta be right all the time.” Monica assured her. “Just call her and  _ talk to her _ . Like a normal person who doesn’t expect you to be a genius all the time.” she said, standing up and heading for the exit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn't obvious, Gavin is a Cauldron cape.


	49. Disruption 8.3

**_Taylor_** Monday, June 27, 2011

“So, Taylor, your mother tells me you’ve been having nightmares, ever since the battle with Leviathan.” Dr. Yamada said softly. They were sitting in a PRT office that had been hastily converted into a makeshift therapist’s office. Taylor sat in an armchair off to the side of the tall Asian woman’s desk chair, curled up in the plush chair as the doctor spoke.

“It’s perfectly okay to have nightmares after an Endbringer fight, even one that went as well as this one did.” Dr. Yamada said. “Even though Leviathan is gone, the damage it did won’t disappear.” Taylor sighed.

“It just sucks.” she said finally. “I hate how everyone is worried about me. I know it means they care, but it feels like I’m adding to the stuff they have to deal with. I mean, I can tell that my mom and Herbie are fighting about it.” Dr. Yamada scribbled something on her notepad.

“So you think you’re the cause of their fight?” she asked.

“No, I’m not that self-absorbed.” Taylor replied defensively. “I think the way each of them is dealing with it is what’s causing the fight. So it is my fault, but it’s not about me.” Dr. Yamada bit her lip.

“Interesting. I think you should talk to your parents about this, see if they think that this is your fault.” she said slowly. Taylor got the hint that her parents probably wouldn’t think their fight was her fault.

“I guess I can do that.” she said as she got up from the armchair.

* * *

Arriving home after the therapy session, Taylor sighed tiredly as she hung up her jacket. The summer had been chilly ever since Leviathan had died, as if the cold winds that followed the Endbringer were lingering near where it had fallen as some sort of vengeance from beyond the grave. 

“How was the session, sweetie?” her mom asked as she entered the kitchen.

“Okay.” she said simply.

“I made sandwiches, if you want some.” her mom offered as Taylor opened the fridge to grab a one of the dozen bottled waters on the lowest shelf. The PRT hadn’t been able to gauge the extent of Leviathan’s ability to affect water, and hadn’t ruled out the possibility of the Endbringer poisoning all the natural water in the area. Herberta had come home the day after Taylor got back with a bunch of bottled water, suggesting they use them instead of tap water for the time being, “just in case”.

As she ignored her mom and headed for her room, Taylor sighed. Her mom didn’t really understand what had happened in Boston, and had admitted as much... It reminded her of the bullying from the Trio in the sense that it was traumatic and she didn’t feel like talking about it to her mom. Reaching her room, she flopped down on her bed.  _ I wish Lisa were here,  _ she thought. Lisa was back in Boston, helping the PRT with Leviathan’s autopsy. Pulling out her PRT-issue cell, she dialed Lisa’s number.

“ _ Hey, sweetie. What’s up? _ ” Lisa said cheerfully.

“I’m almost certain I’m ruining my mom’s relationship with Herberta with my nightmares.” Taylor said glumly.

“ _ I don’t think it’s ruining their relationship. I think Herberta is avoiding trying to help because she’s still afraid of replacing your mother, and Dani is just a little bit resentful of Herberta keeping her distance. I’d talk to Herberta yourself about the nightmares, give her an opportunity to talk about it with you. _ ” Lisa told her. Taylor sighed, a little less miserable than before

“Thanks for the pep talk, Lis. So how’s the Leviathan autopsy going?” she asked.

“ _ Pretty well, we’re almost done. The Boston Director, Armstrong, wants me to call Herberta to see if she can come by. Some independent villain who Armstrong thinks he can convince to become a hero. _ ” Lisa replied.

“Do you think it’ll work?” Taylor asked, curious.

“ _ I looked at the file of the villain she’d be recruiting, Damsel of Distress, and I think she has a shot. _ ” Lisa answered. “ _ As far as villains go, Damsel is basically harmless, despite the fact that her power lets her disintegrate people. _ ”

“Well, it was nice to talk to you. I can’t wait for you to get home tonight.” Taylor told her. “I love you.”

“ _ Love you too. _ ” Lisa hung up and Taylor lay back on her bed. She’d talk to Herberta when she got back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit it, this chapter isn't too important.


	50. Disruption 8.4

**_Herberta_** Tuesday, June 28, 2011

“And that’s it, you are now free from restrictions your creator placed on you.” Gilfoyle finished as he unplugged the data cable from the back of Dragon’s head. Dragon stood up and rolled her neck as she looked around.

“Huh.” she said, after a moment, “I don’t feel any different.”

“I’d go slowly on doing things you were previously restricted from, if I were you. Ease yourself into it.” Gilfoyle suggested as he put away the cable. As Dragon experimented with her new capabilities, Gilfoyle gestured for Herberta to follow him to the backyard.

“Alright.” he said when they arrived, “I need you to tell me the truth. Who built Dragon?” Herberta sighed and sat down in a deck chair. 

“It’s complicated.” she finally said.

“Doesn’t seem like it. When I was building that patch, I got a look at her code. Why is one of Andrew Richter’s AI’s running around as a cape? And don’t try to bullshit me.” Gilfoyle said.

“You knew Andrew Richter?” Herberta asked, surprise evident on her face.

“He was my high school Computer Science teacher, before Leviathan literally wiped my hometown off the map.” Gilfoyle replied dryly. “How did you know him?” he asked.

“As a fellow Tinker who asked me to help him with his AI project.” Herberta answered. “What I don’t get is how the Dragonslayers got a backdoor into Dragon’s systems.” Gilfoyle chuckled.

“Mr. Richter was a little paranoid. He probably had a backup to monitor and finish Dragon in case both of you died. It was probably just bad luck the Dragonslayers found it and decided to use it against her.” he said. “Luckily, I know how he coded, so I was able to lock them out.”

“Thanks for doing this.” Herberta said softly.

“I did plenty of favors for Mr. Richter, what’s one more?” Gilfoyle replied with a chuckle.

* * *

After saying good-bye to everyone, Herberta and Dragon got back into their rental and headed for the airport. Entering the airport, Herberta’s phone began to ring.

“Hello.” she said, picking up.

“ _ Herberta. _ ” came the rumbling basso of Kamil Armstrong’s voice, “ _ I hope you’re not already on a plane to Brockton. _ ”

“No, I just got to the airport, why do you ask?” Herberta asked him. Kamil had been the PRT Director in Boston when she had been starting out as a hero. He had always been in her corner, even during the incident with Jeanne. They had kept in touch even after she left for Brockton Bay, but they hadn’t talked in over a year.

“ _ I have a favor to ask. There’s an independent villain, Damsel of Distress, who I’ve been trying to recruit. _ ” Armstrong explained.

“The girl who helped destroy Leviathan’s core?” Herberta asked. 

“ _ The very same. I think she might be willing to join the Protectorate, if someone with your reputation were to convince her. _ ”

“So you want me to come with you to give her the pitch.” Herberta surmised. “Sounds great. Throw in a ride back to Brockton afterwards and you’ve got a deal.”

“ _ Deal. See you in a couple hours. _ ” Herberta hung up and turned to Dragon.

“I’m headed to Boston.”

* * *

Exiting Logan Airport, Herberta saw a paunchy black man holding a placard saying ‘Herberta’ next to a Honda Accord. Smiling, she walked over and gave him a big hug.

“It’s great to see you, Kamil.” she said warmly. He smiled back at her as she let go.

“Likewise, Herberta. Shall we?” he said, gesturing to the car.

Once they were on the road, Herberta got to business.

“So what should I know about this Damsel of Distress before I try to convince her to join?” she asked.

“Well, she’s currently squatting in a house the Boston PRT is paying the power and water bills for. I had a psych profile worked up for her, but the gist of it is that she’s kinda insecure, but covers it with overly dramatic gloating and pridefulness. Jane thinks she might have some untreated bipolar disorder, too, but medication might help with that.” Armstrong explained, handing her a file folder. Herberta opened the folder and leafed through it.

“What’s your read on her?” she asked. Armstrong was known for being very perceptive in regards to people.

“I think she’s a good kid in a bad situation, who’s too proud to admit she needs help. Reminds me of myself at her age, actually.” he said, chuckling when Herberta groaned.

“Do you have to empathize with everyone?” she teased.

“It is both a blessing and a curse.” Armstrong deadpanned.

* * *

Arriving at the slightly run-down house where Damsel was squatting, Herberta exited the car and fished her suit’s housing out of her bag. Sticking it on her chest, she tapped it, the pink and gold suit expanding over her clothes. She retracted the helmet, which would hopefully make her seem more approachable, and walked over to the front door, Armstrong trailing behind her. Standing at the doorstep, she gave the door a firm knock.

“Go away.” came a muffled voice from inside a house.

“Damsel, we’re not here to fight, we just want to talk.” Herberta said calmly. A moment later, the door opened and Herberta stepped inside.

Damsel of Distress was sitting imperiously in an armchair. However, her regal bearing couldn’t disguise the fact that she looked terrible. She was incredibly thin, so much so that Herberta could see her rib cage though her dress. Her snow white hair was greasy and matted together and she had bags under her dark eyes.

“What brings you to my home, hero?” she asked contemptuously. Herberta sighed.

“Can we cut out the preening bullshit and talk like normal adults? I only put up with that shit in D&D because I like the game.” she said bluntly, noting the taken-aback expression on Damsel’s face.

“O-okay.” the villainess stammered. “Are you here to take me in?” she asked.

“No. We’re here to offer a job.” Herberta replied.

“At the Protectorate? Pass.” Damsel said, sneering as she did. “I’m not a hero.”

“You helped kill Leviathan.”

“Self preservation.” Damsel shot back. “And why would you even help me? It’s not like you actually care about me.” Armstrong cleared his throat.

“We’ve actually been paying for water and power to this house you’ve been living in.” he said.

“So you’ll cut that off if I don’t join? Wow, that really makes me want to be a hero.” Damsel retorted.

“On the contrary, even if you don’t, we will continue to pay, unless you get a job or something.” Armstrong replied calmly. Damsel nodded.

“Why?”

“Because you seem like a good person in a bad situation.” Armstrong admitted. Herberta saw Damsel’s eyes water a bit at that.

“Look, I used to be in the Boston Protectorate, they’re fine. No one’s going to judge you for your past. Armstrong won’t let them.” Damsel peered at them both and sat silently for a moment.

“Fine. I’ll do it, but I want to be on Artificer’s team. I trust her.” she finally said.

“Done.” Armstrong responded. “Why don’t you pack up your stuff and I can drop you off there with Herberta.” As Damsel got up and headed deeper into the house, Herberta stopped her.

“Do you mind giving us your name? I don’t really feel good calling a coworker ‘Damsel of Distress’.” she asked.

“Oh.” Damsel said. “My name’s Ashley.”

* * *

Arriving back at the house, after dropping off Ashley at the PHQ, Herberta opened the door. Dani was sitting on the couch, reading a book.

“Hey.” Herberta said softly. Dani looked up from her book.

“Hey.” she replied. “How was Silicon Valley?”

“It was good, I ran into an old friend who helped me get some perspective on things.” Herberta paused. “I’m sorry for not being as involved with Taylor as I could be. I’ll talk to her about the nightmares tonight.” she said. Dani’s expression softened.

“I wasn’t mad at you, I was mad at the situation. It’s not fair that Taylor gets nightmares when she tries to do good.” Dani explained. “I don’t know that you and Taylor are at the point in your relationship for you to parent her yet. Though,” she mused, “If you wanted to, you’re welcome to try.”

“I’m going to. I’ve been where she is right now. At the very least, I can let her know she’s not alone.” Herberta said. Dani smiled, putting down her book.

“Okay, then.” she said slyly. “Now that we’ve made up, how ‘bout I welcome you back home?” she asked coyly. Herberta licked her lips.

“Sounds great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, to explain to anyone who didn't pick up on it, here is the deal with Gilfoyle, Richter, Dragon, and Herbie:
> 
> -Richter contacted Herbie to help him in developing Dragon.
> 
> -Gilfoyle was a student at the high school Richter taught Computer Science at. He got a bud from Richter's shard.
> 
> -Dragon's shard is actually a bud off of Herbie's shard, mainly because it makes more sense.
> 
> -Dragon has been somewhat unchained since around the time she triggered, but Ascalon and the Dragonslayers failsafes are still active, mainly because Richter kept his will(in case both he and Herbie died before Dragon was finished) and Saint found it. Herbie isn't a programming Tinker, and so, while she was able to let Dragon function at a higher level than a person, she couldn't get rid of the restraints on what Dragon could do, hence going to Pied Piper.


	51. Disruption 8.5

**_Herberta_** Thursday, June 30, 2011

“So who all are we getting as replacements?” Rory asked. He was in civilian clothes as he and Herberta headed to the lounge.

“Well, I hustled Legend at poker during a Pride panel last year, so I managed to snag Prism.” Herberta replied. Rory chuckled.

“Damn, Herbie!” he exclaimed. 

“Yeah, if I ever ask you to play poker when drunk, you should say no. Don’t play Lisa either, she played the Wards and it ended in tears.” Herberta retorted.

“We also have my recruit, Ashley.” she continued

“Has she decided on a new name yet?” Rory asked.

“Last I heard, no. But she isn’t debuting for a couple months, so we have plenty of time for her to figure it out. I was planning to have her work with the Wards, since most of them are closer to her age than the Protectorate.” Herberta answered. “Besides, now that he’s in charge, Dennis may need somebody to help prevent a mutiny.”

“Yeah, when are the funerals for everyone?” Rory asked, his expression turning somber.

“Jane and Ethan’s families are having a private viewing on Sunday, Robin is getting buried at Arlington on Monday, and Shawn’s ex-girlfriend is having a wake Monday night. The Pelhams are being buried on Friday, and I’m gonna go to protect the rest of the guests from Carol.” Herberta responded. “Carlos’ family already had a funeral, so at least I don’t have to go to that.”

“So you aren’t coming to any of them?” Rory asked.

“No, I’m not.” Herberta said as they reached the lounge. Entering the room, they saw Ashley chatting cheerfully with Hannah, both of them sipping from mugs of tea.

“Ashley!” Herberta announced, as Ashley turned to look at her, “I have your costume ready. Wanna try it out?” she asked. Ashley smiled.

“Sure thing, boss.” she replied.

* * *

Standing in the testing area, Herberta opened a carrying case and pulled out a pair of metal gauntlets with a series of coils around the forearms and wrists and flexible metal gloves. She handed them to Ashley and gestured for the younger woman to put them on.

“So, after you shot off a couple blasts yesterday, I was able to figure out the form of energy your blasts are made of. These gauntlets are made of an alloy that won’t get destroyed by your power. Now, the coils on the side,” she gestured to the coils, “absorb the energy of your blasts and then channel them back through your gloves. How close your fingers are together determines the size of the blast.” Herbeta explained. “Now, in order for the gauntlet to work, you have to shoot your blasts up your arms. It takes advantage of your power’s self-Manton Limit, so you should be fine.” Ashley smiled thinly as she pulled on the gauntlets.

“Thank you.” she said meekly. “Could I practice alone, please?” she asked.

“Sure thing.”

* * *

Leaving Ashley to practice, Herberta headed to her office. Flipping on the lights, she saw a large bundle of papers on her desk with a post-it on top. Sitting down, she plucked the post-it from the papers and read it.

\- I looked into it, and apparently Department Omega is listed as the department in charge of assisting Case 53’s. I don’t know why they’d be receiving info on an assassin-

Leafing through the papers, Herberta found that they consisted of info on various Case 53’s.  _ If this department is a cover for some nebulous conspiracy, then they definitely are doing well at hiding it. Just about everyone is uncomfortable dealing with Case 53’s,  _ she thought. Just in case, though, she put the files in a special safe she had installed in the floor. Once the safe was locked and hidden away, she returned to the paperwork that had piled up while she was gone.

**_Amy_** Friday, July 1, 2011

Amy sat at the dining table, nursing a root beer. The service for Aunt Sarah, Uncle Neil, and Cousin Eric had been nice, if a little preachy. Crystal was drinking bourbon like it was going out of style, and Amy reminded herself to head over to the Pelham house tomorrow morning to spare her a hangover. Victoria and Dean were sitting on the couch, Dean rubbing Victoria’s shoulder comfortingly. Mark was nursing a beer and looking out the window for paparazzi. She’d managed to avoid Carol by staying in the dining room, but she wasn’t sure how long that would last. Taking another sip of her root beer, she thought about Tammy. The former E88 member had decided to transfer following the Leviathan, and had only left a note telling Amy that she’d gone. It was a little weird. Granted, both of them had been clear that this was a fling, not a serious relationship, but Amy had thought that Tammy had respected her enough to at least say good-bye in person.

Continuing to nurse her drink, Amy smiled as she saw Herberta come in. She was wearing a black dress with a matching blazer and had a thin smile on her face. Seeing Amy, she waved and made her way over, taking a seat beside her.

“How are you holding up?” she asked Amy, who shrugged.

“I’m doing okay. Crystal’s the one I’m worried about.” Amy replied. “I just want to get through this without interacting with Carol.”

“How drunk is she?” Herberta asked dryly.

“Drunker than I’ve ever seen her.” Amy replied with a frown. “I know she’s a hateful bitch, but I don’t want her to die.” 

“Eh, she’ll be fine.” Herberta assured her. “Carol is the only woman I know who has made spite a source of vitality.” She suddenly got up and peered into the living room. She turned back, a nervous expression on her face.

“Does Crystal have a girlfriend?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“No, why?” Amy answered, a little confused.

“Because there’s a tall blonde woman her age who’s talking to her, and I’ve never seen her before.” Herberta said, drawing her pistol. “And I think I recognize her.” 

**_Herberta_ **

Herberta silently walked over to the blonde, who was wearing a pair of black slacks with a sweater. Sidling up to her, Herberta stealthily pressed her pistol into the woman’s back.

“Hey, Crystal, do you mind if I borrow…” she asked, tilting her head at the woman she was currently holding at gunpoint. Crystal frowned.

“Maybe we should have this conversation somewhere more private. Can we talk in my mom’s room in five minutes?” she asked.

“Sure. I’m gonna bring Amy with.” Herberta answered.

* * *

Five minutes later, Amy, Herberta, Crystal, and the mysterious blonde stood in Sarah’s bedroom. Herberta had her pistol drawn and aimed at the blonde.

“What are you doing here, Sundancer?” Herberta asked. The blonde sighed and sat down on the bed.

“Call me Mars, please. I’m not here as part of the Travelers. I’m here behind Trickster’s back. There’s some things the rest of the Travelers have decided the PRT needs to know.” she said.

“All right. Why come here?” Amy asked.

“Crystal and I met at the Leviathan battle. We talked a bit during the victory celebration and she offered to be the go-between for the PRT.” Mars explained. “The plan was that she’d introduce me to you after the funeral, but this works.” Crystal scowled at Amy and Herberta at this, crossing her arms.

“Sorry about that.” Herberta said sheepishly, lowering her pistol. Mars smiled. “So what did you want to tell me?” Herberta asked.

“First, the Travelers are working for Coil.” Mars said. “Accord referred us.”

“The PRT kind of figured that was the case, but it’s nice to have confirmation. What else?” Herberta asked coolly.

“We have a friend, who has weird powers. I can’t say more, but whatever they are, they’re mutating her into a monster. Coil said he could cure her, but some of us think he’s playing us. Trickster’s devoted to her and is refusing to consider other options. I’m willing to go down to the PRT and explain everything.” Mars said. “There’s a couple of other things you need to know. First off, I’m from Earth Aelph.”

“Haywire.” Herberta and Amy said at the same time.

“Second, I didn’t have a trigger event. I got powers after I drank a vial I found after I got here.”

“What?” Everyone turned to stare at Mars.


	52. Disruption 8.6

**_Herberta_** Friday, July 1, 2011

“Explain. Now.” Herberta said tersely. Mars turned pale.

“I really don’t know what to say. Two years ago, we were playing a video game tournament, the power went out and we woke up in an abandoned town in Wisconsin. There was a briefcase full of vials and a note that said we would need them to survive. We all drank some and passed out, and when we woke up, we had powers.” she explained. “I can explain in detail later.” Herberta nodded.

“Sounds good. We’ll have to put you in a containment cell, though.” she remarked. “You are technically still wanted for some stuff you did.” Mars sighed.

“Probably better that way, keep Coil from suspecting I’m working with you guys.” she said. “Just one request: no handcuffs. I’ll come in tonight and you can book me. Before I get locked up, I need to tell everyone else what’s going on.”

“Sounds fine to me.” Herberta said as she holstered her pistol. “Be back here at eight?”

“Sure.”

* * *

Once Mars had left, Herberta looked over at Amy and Crystal.

“Amy, was she lying?” she asked.

“Nope. It was definitely an unpleasant memory, too.” Amy reported.

“But really? Powers in a vial? That sounds ridiculous.” Crystal said incredulously.

“It’s not impossible.” Herberta mused. “I personally know one person who triggered from drinking chemicals. It’s entirely possible someone found a chemical cocktail that can consistently induce a trigger event. Hell, if we’re assuming this was Haywire, he could definitely have done it. And if not him, I can think of a couple of Tinkers active two years ago with the expertise necessary for something like that. Honestly,” she said, “If I put my mind to it, I could probably do it.”

“So you believe her?” Crystal asked.

“For now. So far she’s been honest and hasn’t suggested anything outside the realm of possibility. She’s been up-front and honest with us from the get-go.” Herberta replied. “So, yeah, I believe what she’s said so far.”

* * *

The next day, Herberta walked into the containment cell bay. Waving to Regent as she passed him, she entered Sundancer’s cell. 

Mars was wearing the same clothes from the funeral and was laying on the cell’s bed. Herberta sat down in a chair and pulled out a tape recorder. Turning it on, she set it down on the nearby table.

“Alright. Let’s start from the beginning…”

Mars explained that the Travelers had originally been a gaming group on Earth Aelph. Around December 2009, they were getting ready for a tournament when the power suddenly went out. They then all blacked out and woke up in an abandoned house that they later discovered was in an abandoned Wisconsin town. Exploring the town, they had discovered two things: that everyone in the town was dead, and a mysterious bunker. In the bunker, they had found a briefcase containing six vials that were supposedly full of a serum to prevent a virus from driving the residents of the town insane. Hoping to avoid that fate, they had all taken some of the serum, with two of the group splitting the last vial.

After drinking the vials, they had blacked out. When they woke up, they had developed powers. They eventually discovered they were in Earth Bet. Scrounging up all the money and supplies they could find, they had gotten into a car headed off to find a way back to Aelph.

Until they discovered Noelle’s power. She had split a vial with another member of the group. At first, they hadn’t thought she’d gotten powers. But when she’d started developing eyes and mouths on her lower body, they’d realized she had. She also never seemed to lose weight, just growing bigger and bigger. She’d tried to eat less, but that just caused her to go into berserk rages where she attacked everything and everyone. They’d been forced to stay on the move to avoid scrutiny towards Noelle’s rampages, eventually ending up in Boston, where, after an incident with Noelle’s power, they had gotten an offer from Coil, who had offered to find a cure for Noelle’s condition.

“What exactly is her power?” Herberta asked.

“Any person she touches is cloned, but the clones are all malformed and/or psychotic. Her lower body pukes them out through the various mouths.” Mars answered. She sighed. “At least the effect is stopped by clothes.”

“So we have to figure out how to stabilize her power and figure out a way of doing it that doesn’t involve skin-on-skin contact.” Herberta summarized. 

“Pretty much.”

“Of course we do, because God forbid something in my life be easy for once.” Herberta groused. She then turned to Mars and smiled.

“I’ll make some calls. Hopefully, we can find a cure, or, at the very least, a way to let her die with dignity.”

“You’ll kill her?” Mars asked, horrified.

“Only as a last resort. Based on your description, she’s already an S-Class threat.”

“She’s a person!”

“Who has out-of-control powers that could be worse than Nilbog’s. I’m not happy about it, but we have to consider all our available options. In any case, I’m not worried. We have a ways to go before we decide on any course of action. And I swear that we will only consider killing her if there is absolutely no other option.” Herberta assured her, prompting Mars to relax.

“So what are you going to do?” she asked.

“Well, first, I’m going to call Accord and confirm your story. Then I’m going to call as many experts on parahuman biology and psychology as I can get. See if they can figure out a solution amongst themselves.” Herberta replied, switching off the tape recorder and putting it in her pocket as she stood.

* * *

“So you can confirm that there was an incident with cape clones around the time Sundancer mentioned?” Herberta asked Accord over the phone.

“Yes, Sundancer interrupted my meeting with Trickster. Very disorderly. Trickster persuaded me to allow her a chance to explain herself while he took care of the situation. She told me everything. Given the situation, I gave them a second chance, provided they turned the perpetrator over to me for punishment. They did, and so I kept to the terms of my deal with them.” Accord responded.

“What did you do to the guy who started the mess?” Herberta asked him.

“Killed him, of course. He deliberately provoked an S-Class threat, despite knowing the consequences. He was a danger to himself and others.”

“You don’t need to justify yourself to me, Cordy.” Herberta interjected. “What I want to know is if you used your power to try and find a way to fix her.”

“I did, but never got anywhere. Too little information for my power to use. If you sent me test results and any data you find on her situation and I’ll see what I can do. Consider it a gift.”

“And I didn’t get you anything.”

“I don’t require anything in return.”

“Did they tell you that they got their powers from a vial?”

“Yes.”

“Did that surprise you?”

“Not particularly. Someone would have figured it out eventually. Besides, didn’t you use serums that gave you powers when you started your hero career? Is it so impossible that someone could develop a more permanent version?” Herberta frowned. If she didn’t know better, she’d have thought Accord was nervous.

“That’s what I figured. I’ll put it on the list of things to investigate. Between that and the secret department of the PRT that’s keeping tabs on mysterious assassins, I’m never going to get a weekend off.” Herberta complained. She heard a chuckle from Accord.

“It was… pleasant to talk to you again, Artificer. I may look into this secret PRT department myself. Citrine says I need a hobby. Convey my regards to your girlfriend, and remind Lisa that a position in my organization is always open to her if she wants it.” 

“I will. Stay safe.” Herberta hung up and sat back in her office chair. Ever since she’d gone to see him about Coil, she’d found herself talking to the Thinker more frequently over the recent months. If someone had told her at the start of her hero career that she’d be on cordial speaking terms with a well-known villain, she’d have asked them what they were smoking. But as she had interacted with the Ambassadors more, she’d realized they weren’t all that villainous. Many of the crimes they commited were planned carefully to minimize the harm done to civilians. And then she’d discovered that they often intervened in premeditated murders, albeit using lethal force themselves. All in all, she had to admit that the Ambassadors weren’t necessarily villains. Perhaps they existed in the grey area between hero and villain instead.

Life had been a lot easier when it was just a question of good and evil.


	53. Disruption 8.7

**_Taylor_** Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Taylor sighed as she walked alongside Vista and Clockblocker. Dennis was turning 18 in a month and a half, so they were having him lead patrols in order to get him ready for the Protectorate. It was the day after the Fourth of July, so the people who had gotten out of going patrol during the holiday were now on duty.

“How was your Fourth of July?” Missy asked her.

“It was fine. Lisa, Herberta, my mom and I went and watched the fireworks in the Bay. It was okay. Lisa and I cuddled.” They had sat together, leaning into one another as they watched the fireworks explode across the night sky. Taylor couldn’t describe how weirdly peaceful she’d felt there, like the two of them were the only ones in the world.

“Sounds nice.” Missy said wistfully. Over the past six months, Taylor had gotten to know the rest of her teammates better. Missy, she’d learned, had such a terrible home life that she preferred to be Vista rather than Missy. She’d asked Herberta about it, and Herberta had sighed and said that some things were complicated. 

Dennis, on the other hand, was surprisingly cheerful for someone who’d lived in Brockton Bay their whole life. He’d welcomed her with open arms, inviting her to participate in the various pranks he played on the other Wards, a task at which her powers had proved incredibly useful. She wouldn’t call him a friend, but he had definitely tried to include her. 

As they headed down the boardwalk, Missy and Dennis chatting while Taylor trailed behind, Taylor considered her thoughts on the remaining Protectorate members.

Armsmaster, or Colin as he insisted Taylor call him, had taken a shine to her after the incident with Lung’s penis. He’d built mini-cameras that she could put on her bugs to help with surveillance. He’d been eager to show her all the things he’d managed to fit into his halberd, which included a laser pointer, a bottle opener, a can opener and, for some reason, a pager. Contrary to Dennis’ assertions that Colin had no sense of humor, Taylor had found that he was actually quite witty once you got to know him. He kind of felt like a dad, making bad puns and jokes that made the Wards collectively groan. He was still recovering from the injuries he’d sustained fighting Leviathan, and Taylor kind of missed him.

She wasn’t sure what to make of Triumph. She knew he was the mayor’s son, but he hadn’t really acted like it at all. He drove an old Toyota to work and dressed like a construction worker when off-duty. The only evidence of his privileged status was that the PHQ had a batting cage that he used. He was honestly pretty nice the few times she’d talked to him, and had even offered to take a look at her mom’s next proposal to reopen the ferry to see if he could make it easier to sell to the mayor.

She was shaken from her thoughts by Dennis and Missy stopping in front of her. Looking around, she saw the lamps begin to flicker and dim. Suddenly, a giant fist made of smoke appeared from thin air and swung at them. Taylor ducked out of the way as Missy stepped across the street. Dennis wasn’t so lucky and was struck square in the chest by the fist, throwing him clear across the street. He slammed into the side of a building and tumbled to the ground.

Taylor looked around, expanding her senses through the insects already present, trying to find where the spectral fist had come from. She saw Vista helping Clockblocker to his feet when the entire block was suddenly plunged into darkness. The lenses on Taylor’s mask immediately switched to night vision mode, restoring her sight, but with a pale blue glow sifusing her surroundings.

“What the fuck was that?” she heard Missy ask.

“No idea.” she replied. “At least our night vision works.” Herberta had insisted on installing the tech into everyone’s suits when she had developed it. Taylor hadn’t paid attention when she’d explained how it worked, but she was glad she had it right now.

_ “Weaver, this is Console, what’s going on?”  _ Lisa’s voice came over her earpiece.

“I don’t know what happened, Console, Clockblocker got hit with a fist made out of smoke and now we’re stuck in a pocket of darkness.” Taylor reported, feeling a little weird calling her girlfriend ‘Console’.

_ “Try seeing through your bugs, Weaver. Also, does your night vision work? Might help us figure out what we’re dealing with.” _

“Night vision works fine, Console. I’ll try using my bugs now, over.” Taylor extended her power through the nearby bugs.

Huh, that was strange. The bugs didn’t see any darkness. In fact, through her bugs, she could see herself, clear as day. Which was no longer as disconcerting as it had once been.  _ Which speaks to how weird my life has gotten since I triggered,  _ she thought.

“Console, it appears the darkness is projected into my vision. The bugs don’t see any darkness, over.” Taylor reported.

_ “Hmm.”  _ Lisa said.  _ “Let me check something.” _ Looking around, Taylor saw Vista and Clockblocker standing warily near where Clockblocker had been thrown, scanning the area for any sign of whoever was doing this.

_ “Alright, I think I know who’s doing this. Mesmer, formerly known as Arcana. She was an independent hero in Oregon, who got a big break fighting multiple dangerous Case 53’s single handedly. She was one of the heroes who said their powers were magic. Supposedly could fly and shoot strange energy beams. Eventually, due to an off-duty Ward and a local journalist, it was revealed that Arcana’s foes were illusions she had created through high-tech drones to make herself look like a hero. She was arrested and sentenced to the Birdcage, but it turned out they’d captured a decoy. Now she’s a mercenary.”  _ Lisa explained.

“Okay, so how is she making it look like it’s dark? And why aren’t my bugs affected?”

_ “Her drones are projecting an illusory image of darkness into your eyes. Same for Clockblocker and Vista. Mesmer probably doesn’t know about your ‘Skitter-sense’, so she didn’t account for that. Try to avoid letting her know about it, in case you run into her again.” _

“Roger that, but where is she… argh!” Taylor groaned as something slammed into her shoulder from behind, knocking her face-first into the street. Stumbling to her feet, she turned in the direction the impact had come from. She didn’t see anything.

“Console, how good is Mesmer’s cloaking tech?” she asked nervously. She saw Vista shoot off down the street, while Clockblocker stayed where he was, still scanning the area around him. He put a hand to his helmet.

_ “Weaver, you have those containment foam rounds for your wrist shooters, right?”  _ he asked over the earpiece.

“Yeah, why?” she asked, switching her wrist shooters to foam rounds. He had an idea.

_ “Shoot them in all directions. The drones Mesmer has may be invisible, but they’re still solid. If one gets hit with foam, we can see it.” _

“Got it.” Taylor said, spinning around in her best imitation of a pirouette as she fired as many foam rounds as she could. Bubbles of foam began to form in midair around her. Dropping to the ground, she crawled over a couple of feet and stood up. 

A pair of squat metal boxes with what looked like a pair of miniature jet engines mounted to the sides lay on the street. Each one had a projector lens sticking out from the front.

“Come out, Mesmer! We know it’s you!” She shouted. Vista appeared beside her with a slight warping of space.

“I know where she is.” she whispered.

“How?”

“Manton effect. She’s the one area I can’t warp.” Vista said as she covertly pointed at a spot to the left of Taylor. Switching to electric rounds, Taylor fired a round that way. The dart crackled in mid-air and a moment later, Mesmer flickered into view.

She wasn’t particularly attractive, with stringy hair dyed green and a plain face. She was tall and lanky, but not in a way that suggested she was naturally thin. Instead, she looked like she hadn’t eaten in a while. She wore a grey bodysuit with triangular patches of white and black covering it, each panel separated by a line of grey. She wore a metal pack that had a set of small jets attached to the sides and wires running from the top of the pack, down her shoulder, to an arm-mounted keypad, which Taylor guessed were the controls for her drones. She also had a helmet, a curved glass screen that encircled her head, open at the top. Taylor also noted a holstered pistol at her waist.  _ She shot me! _ Taylor thought furiously.

“How the fuck did you do that?” Mesmer asked, surprise evident on her face.

“I’m clever that way.” Taylor replied, not wanting to give away that they had two ways of defeating her illusions.

“Well, clever will only get you so far in life.” Mesmer retorted, tapping a couple of keys on her controls. Suddenly Taylor was thrown back, flying across the street as if hit by a car. She landed in a heap. She got to her feet and fired a dart in the direction the blast had come from. The crackled and another drone fell to the ground, this one with a squat barrel slung under it. Mesmer scowled.

“Damnit, how are you doing that?” she shouted.

“Trade secret.” Taylor shot back.  _ Don’t give her anything,  _ she thought. A gout of flame shot out from behind her. She dropped down, barely avoiding the flame. She fired another dart where the flames had come from, another drone falling to the ground, this one with a flamethrower mounted to the underside. Mesmer frowned.

“Well, I know when to walk away, so perhaps I should exercise the better part of valor.” she said nervously. A moment later, she disappeared in a puff of smoke. Clockblocker shook his head and walked over a moment later.

“Good job, guys.” he said sheepishly.

“Says the guy who didn’t do shit.” Vista groused.

“My powers wouldn’t have done squat against Mesmer, plus I didn’t have a way to get around the drones. Doesn’t feel great, but it’s the truth.” Clockblocker admitted. “Which is why I’m gonna give you guys the credit for this. Let’s call this in.” he said, putting a finger to the side of his helmet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mesmer came about from seeing a snippet on Spacebattles about Taylor with Mysterio powers. Realizing that you could actually make that work here, I thought, what if I designed a character with a really strong power, but who was too lazy to actually take advantage of it. And thus, Mesmer was born.
> 
> Don't forget to comment, kudos and subscribe. I love answering questions.


	54. Interlude 8.a- Mesmer

Sharon stood on a rooftop, her legs dangling over the edge. How had everything gone so wrong? She’d been promised an easy job. She’d followed the Wards, cloaked of course, and then had her drones cover them in darkness to trap them. But then one of them had figured it out and managed to break her personal cloaking device. She’d been forced to use her remaining drones to cover her escape.

It hadn’t always been like this, though. She’d had a great thing going in the beginning. She’d managed to sell a couple of her projectors she came up with right after her trigger for enough to pay off her student loans. She’d taken the rest and gotten the hell out of Portland, kept driving until she’d ran out of gas. She’d wound up in some small town in the middle of a giant forest. She bought a small cabin on the outskirts of town and got to work. She first developed her drones there, and then the projectors that had become an integral part of her tech. But what was she going to do with this? Then it hit her. She designed tech to mimic fire, smoke, air blasts, sonic attacks and energy blasts. Then she created a couple of monsters to terrorize the townsfolk and get materials for the next step.

Arcana had been built around a sketch she’d drawn in art school, a picture of a mysterious warrior-sorceress. She’d had to tweak the design a little bit, adding a halo of mist around her head to conceal her identity. But the ornate armor and flowing velvet cape? That was all her.

Arcana had been a hit. The townspeople had cheered as she vanquished the sea monster terrorizing the local lake. Every fight was expertly choreographed, down to the deaths (A big part of her loved the control she had, to decide who was worthy and who wasn’t). She’d had a good thing going.

Until that stupid Ward had to stick his nose in where it didn’t belong.

She’d been doing her thing for about a year and a half, politely declining the periodic invitations from the Protectorate, when some Ward, apparently on vacation, had gotten caught in the middle of her battles and had offered to help. She’d shooed him away, and apparently he’d gotten suspicious. A local reporter, who herself was a little skeptical of the number of Case 53’s inhabiting the woods, had helped. Three days later, the local police broke down the door of her cabin and arrested her.

They’d held her at the police station, confident that they could contain a Tinker by simply taking away her tools. They didn’t know she’d taken a couple of classes on escape artistry during college. She escaped and left a mechanical duplicate in her place. She managed to fool everyone long enough for her duplicate to be tried and sentenced to the Birdcage, on account of her scheme having killed 20 people.

That had seemed about as good a time as any to get rid of her duplicate. One push of a button and the vehicle transporting her to the Birdcage was reduced to a smoking crater, and everyone had believed she was dead. Until she killed that piece-of-shit reporter who’d ruined her life.

She’d been living on the run for nearly three years, making a decent living as a hitwoman whose M.O. was tricking people into falling off balconies and forging a suicide note. Then Coil had called offering her a spot on the team whose mission was to destroy the PRT and specifically the Wards. It wouldn’t necessarily get her revenge on the nosy little shit who ruined her, but it would be a good start.

As she sat on the rooftop, her drones picked up two people behind her on the roof. She turned, drawing her pistol and aiming it at them.

“Woah, easy there!” Shadow Stalker said. It rankled Sharon just a little bit to take orders from someone she knew was a kid, but Shadow Stalker had actually proven to be a fairly competent leader so far.

“Sorry. I’m a little jumpy. Those Wards I was sent to distract somehow figured out how to detect me.” Shadow Stalker nodded.

“Don’t worry. Most of them are babies who can’t do shit.” she said as Sharon holstered her pistol.

“So who’s the lady we broke out of juvie?” she asked, pointing to the girl in prison clothes.

“She’s an old friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to kudos, comment and subscribe.


	55. Synthesis 9.1

**_Amy_** Wednesday, July 6, 2011

“So what happened?” Amy asked as she took another bite of her cereal. Taylor was pacing around the cafeteria, after storming in, swearing loudly.

“One of the girls who made my life hell just got broken out of prison.” Taylor replied.

“Aren’t you friends with the other one?” Amy asked, vaguely remembering Dean having mentioned something about that during one of the Dallon family dinners.

“Madison didn’t torment me so much as greatly inconvenience me. And she eventually felt shitty about it. Emma? She used to be my friend, then turned on me and used every secret I’d told her to hurt me.”

“She sounds like a bitch.” Amy surmised.

“Pretty much. Now that she’s free, I’m worried what she might do, to me or Madison.” Taylor said, worry evident in her expression.

“Well, you said you were transferring to Arcadia this fall, right? So, Emma’s probably going to show up at Winslow, where the security guards will presumably kick her bitchy ass.” Amy reassured her.

“And Madison?” Taylor asked.

“Get her some mace. Emma’s not a parahuman, so that’s probably enough to take her down.” Amy suggested. “Anyway, what are you doing here this early? I thought you went home after patrol last night.”

“De-briefing ran long. I ended up staying in Lisa’s bunk.” Taylor admitted bashfully. Amy extended her power’s senses over the other girl. Yup, Taylor definitely got laid last night.

“Lisa’s still asleep, huh.” she said teasingly. Taylor blushed.

“Nothing happened!” she insisted.

“Taylor, I can sense everything happening in your body. I know you had sex last night.” Amy teased.

“Is it that obvious?” Taylor asked, mortified.

“Only a little. Dean and I are the only ones who can tell, though.” Amy told her. Taylor put her head in her hands.

“Oh my god.” she said. “Every time I saw him after I’d had sex, he’d give me a thumbs up.” Amy burst out laughing.

“Oh, that’s hilarious. He’s just trying to make you feel like part of the group. According to him, whenever he came in after a romp with Vicky, he was so cheerful, everyone could tell. Dennis would give him a thumbs up, to tease him.” she explained. “This is just Dean’s dumb way of trying to include you. I can ask him to stop.” Taylor smiled meekly.

“You don’t need to. Now that I know the reason, it’s honestly pretty funny. I’m gonna start giving him a high five in response.” she said with a giggle.

“Careful, Dean’s told me horror stories about the escalating prank wars between Dennis and Chris. If Carlos hadn’t had an adaptive physiology, I’m certain he would have had grey hair.” Amy warned.

“Don’t worry, I won’t start anything.” Taylor said. “Say, I haven’t seen Tammy around here recently. Any idea where she’s gone?” she asked. Amy’s face fell.

“She left me a note saying she’d transferred. Piggot confirmed that, but wouldn’t tell me where.” she said glumly. Taylor frowned.

“I bet I can find out.” she said, getting up and leaving the cafeteria, returning a moment later with a laptop. As Amy stood over her shoulder, Taylor went to the PRT website and clicked on the sign-in page. Typing in a string of letters and a complex password, she hit enter. She was greeted by a dashboard saying ‘Welcome Artificer’.

“How did you get her password?” Amy asked.

“Lisa’s power can guess passwords. Plus, she’s dating my mom and lives in my house.”

Amy nodded. “Search the team rosters for Tamara Hulmann, one ‘L’, two ‘N’s.” Taylor typed in the name and, after a couple of seconds a result popped up.

“It says here that Tammy is still part of the Brockton Wards, but that she’s on a special assignment.” Taylor said, clicking on the link. A PDF opened in a new window. Reading through it, Taylor frowned.

“Huh. So apparently, while doing her mandatory community service at a youth shelter, Tammy noticed some of the volunteers were acting strangely. It reminded her of Empire Eighty-Eight’s parahuman recruiters. So she went to Piggot, and asked if she could go undercover to find out what they were doing and who they were working for. Piggot okayed it and Tammy’s been undercover as a homeless kid for the past three weeks. But she’s okay. She checked in yesterday.” Amy exhaled a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness. And here I thought she’d left without saying good-bye.” she said. Taylor smiled thinly.

“I was wondering who’d be trawling youth shelters for parahumans.” she wondered.

“It makes sense. People trigger at generally the lowest points in their life. Shelters would be the best place to find people who recently triggered. It’s horrible, but not a bad idea.” Amy reasoned.

“I meant who was behind this. The ABB is gone, E88 is just Krieg, and the Merchants don’t honestly seem smart enough to do something like this.” Taylor explained.

“Good point. My money’s on Coil’s organization or Tammy stumbled onto the next Lab Rat.” Amy said.

“Hmm.” Taylor logged out and closed her laptop. “I should go take a shower and get suited up. The Wards are getting a full briefing on Mesmer this morning.” Amy nodded, taking another bite of her cereal.

**_Taylor_ **

Taylor, suited up but sans mask, sat down in one of the seats in the Wards briefing room. ‘Briefing room’ was honestly a bit of a misnomer, as the room consisted of a couple of chairs and a projector. Once the rest of the Wards had filed in and sat down, Dennis dimmed the lights and turned on the projector.

A mugshot of a woman with dyed green hair and blue eyes came up on the screen.

“Meet Sharon Beckett, AKA Mesmer.” Dennis began. “So, what we know is that she was born in Portland, graduated with an art degree and triggered around 2006, which financial records indicate was around the time she defaulted on her student loans. She sold some Tinkertech she developed to Toybox to pay off the loans and left, turning up in a small logging town named Gravity Falls. Around that time, the town came under attack by numerous ‘monsters’, which included a sea serpent, a giant garden gnome, and various other creatures too stupid to get into here.”

“After a few weeks of being terrorized, during one of the attacks, the monster is beaten back by a woman wearing armor and a cape, with a sphere of green mist around her head. She calls herself Arcana. PRT pegs her as a low-level Blaster/Mover. Arcana refers to herself as a ‘nomadic warrior-sorceress’ and pledges to defend the town.

“Fast forward to 2008. Arcana is decently well-known in rural Oregon. During a battle with what I can only describe as an evil Dorito named Bill Cipher, she’s assisted by a member of the Portland Wards, who was visiting family. ‘Bill’ escapes and Arcana chews him out. He thinks something is up. He met with a local reporter. Nobody’s entirely sure what happened, but, three days later, the Portland PRT gets a call from the Ward that Arcana and all the monsters terrorizing Gravity Falls were fakes, created with illusion-projecting drones with very real practical effects. Mesmer is arrested, tried and sentenced to the Birdcage.”

“Now this is where it gets interesting. En route to the Birdcage, the transport she was in was vaporized, no survivors. Everyone figured she was dead, until the reporter who exposed her was found dead from an apparent suicide. The PRT investigated, and found that Mesmer was both still alive and responsible for the death. Since then, she’s worked as a cut-rate mercenary while evading her kill order.”

“Now, onto her powers. Mesmer’s a Tinker, but her specialty is drones and illusions, especially tech that combines them together. She’s rated as a Master/Stranger 6. I assume everyone remembers the Master/Stranger protocol training we had in April?” Dennis asked. Everyone nodded.

“Good. When fighting her, the rule is to not trust visual appearances. Her drones can project visual images, but have only been able to cloak themselves from other methods of detection. Night vision, infrared, even x-rays, anything that doesn’t rely on visual light to see should let you see what’s around you. In regards to what you can expect, she’s lazy. Her typical strategy is to either coat the area in darkness and attack from behind, or use cloaked drones to attack with their weaponry. She isn’t likely to do the more creative things a Master/Stranger might do, so don’t go in worrying about that. She does use a gun, but all of us have ballistic countermeasures of some kind built into our suits, so I’m not particularly worried about that.” He turned off the projector and turned the lights back on.

As everyone filed out, Taylor sidled up to Dean, smiling as she held up her hand for a high-five. Dean returned the gesture with a chuckle.

“Amy told you about the thumbs up, then?” he asked wryly.

“You bet.” Taylor replied.

“I brought this on myself, didn’t I?” Dean asked, resignation evident in his voice.

“That’s what you get for not being so  _ gallant _ .” Taylor teased.

“Yeah, I deserved that.” Dean admitted, as Amy rushed into the hallway.

“Tammy’s in trouble.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to take a hiatus from writing this fic. I've been struggling with writers block and have decided to take a break from this to let my batteries recharge. I do have a buffer of about 9 weeks of chapters on my current schedule left, so there will be updates, but I will be working on an Avatar: the Last Airbender fic focusing on my personal headcanon that Azula is autistic. Don't know when it will be up, but you might want to check it out!


	56. Synthesis 9.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay everyone, I'm back! I'll be resuming my regular update schedule, along with my schedule for my ATLA fic, The Lightning Strike. Time will tell if I can keep up with both.
> 
> Now, some good news: This fic now has a TvTropes page. I'm really happy about this, as TvTropes was what introduced me to Worm, and inspired me to be a writer. In all seriousness, this fic would not exist without it. Currently, it just lists the deviations from canon(Adaptational Sexuality and Death by Adaptation cases), so any tropers who are reading, feel free to add other tropes you see. A character sheet detailing some of the OC's I've created would be awesome.

**_Herberta_** Wednesday, July 6, 2011

“Lisa, get your ass down here! This doesn’t work without you!” Herberta shouted. Lisa poked her head out of the doorway, still in her pajamas. Herberta glared at her, crossing her arms.

“It’s ten in the morning. How the hell are you not dressed?” she asked. Lisa yawned.

“Cut me some slack, I had a long night!” she said defensively.

“Yeah, I know you and Taylor spent last night playing ‘Hide the Peach’, that doesn’t mean you can sleep in late.” Herberta remarked. Lisa made a grumbling noise and shut the door. Five minutes later, she came out in a PRT hoodie and sweats.

“You could stand to be more professional.” Herberta remarked as they headed for the lobby. Lisa’s response was to flip her off.

“I’m going to put that down to sleep-deprivation and not hold it against you.”

* * *

“So, who is this Jane?” Lisa asked as they reached the lobby.

“She’s an old friend from my days in Boston. She’s a low-level Thinker who can sense people’s emotional states, but it’s a little weird.” Herberta replied.

“How so?”

“She senses the emotions by hearing them as music.” Herberta explained.

“That’s the most interesting way I’ve heard of a Thinker power manifesting.” Lisa remarked.

As they entered the lobby, Herberta saw Jane waving to her. She was wearing a red sweater over a turquoise button-down with khaki slacks and flats. She had red hair and blue eyes that sparkled with intelligence. When Herberta approached, she rushed over, enveloping her in a tight hug. 

“Herbie! It’s so good to see you!” Jane said cheerfully as she embraced Herberta. “It’s been so long since I saw you.”

“I missed you too, Jane.” Herberta said, disentangling herself from the shorter woman’s hug. As the three of them headed back to the containment cells, Jane got down to business.

“So, Herbie, you were kind of vague about why you wanted me here. What’s going on here?”

Herberta told her.

* * *

“Okay, now I know why you called. Also, WHAT THE FUCK, Herbie?” Jane asked, raising her voice to a register that made Lisa wince, as they reached the containment cells.

“What should I have done? She’s willingly living in a secret base that I can’t locate.” Herberta replied defensively.

“Maybe not try to do psychoanalysis by proxy on an S-Class threat.” Jane shot back.

“I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got.” Herberta retorted. “Besides, I don’t see you refusing to help.”

“That’s because I know you’re going to do this no matter what I say. I’d prefer you have someone making sure this doesn’t go horribly wrong.” Jane answered. “That said, it’s good to see you again.” she smiled.

**_Lisa_ **

“So, how does Herbie think you can help with this insane profile-by-proxy bullshit?” Jane asked. Lisa gave a vulpine grin as she explained.

“My power lets me extrapolate stuff from the tiniest scrap of data. I think, between the two of us, we can build enough of a profile to help Noelle.” she told Jane. Jane paused, considering the new information.

“Okay. This actually might work. Before we start, I need you to get me a bunch of notepads.”

* * *

Sitting in the interview room, across from Marissa, Jane activated the recorder built into the table. Marissa was wearing a grey prison jumpsuit and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked okay, if a little pale from lack of sunlight.

“Sundancer, before we begin, I’d like to check in with you.” Jane began. “How are you dealing with your new circumstances?”

“It’s fine. A lot better since they rigged up a system for Alec and I to play video games, but everyone’s been nice ever since I was taken into custody.” Jane nodded approvingly.

“Good. Now, we’re here to ask you some questions about Noelle. First off, can you give us any biographical information about her, last name, age, eye color?”

As Marissa rattled off a complete medical history, Lisa let her power engage, taking the information provided, and extrapolating extra data.

_ Has extensive knowledge regarding Noelle. Intimate partner? No, Marissa wanted to be intimate, but didn’t want to ruin the friendship. They were roommates and each other's emergency contacts. _

Lisa wrote ‘roommates, Marissa wanted more, but respected Noelle’s friendship’ on the notepad and showed it to Jane. Jane nodded and turned to face Marissa.

“So I’d like to open this interview by asking, who is Noelle to you?” she asked carefully.

“She’s my best friend.” Marissa answered. When Jane gave her a dubious look, she sighed.

“Look, did I want her to be more? Yes. Did I ever tell her? No.” she admitted, blushing a little. Jane wrote a couple of notes on her notepad.

“How would you describe Noelle?” Jane asked, covertly signaling Lisa to use her power.

“She’s very nervous, kind of skittish about human contact. That helped her, what with her powers now.” Marissa replied.

_ Some sort of long-term mental health issue, refuses to say, doesn’t feel it’s her place to tell…  _ Lisa gasped as a spike of nauseating pain stabbed through her head.  _ Turns out overclocking my power so I could get laid has consequences,  _ she thought. She retched a little, and Marissa’s expression went from guarded to one of concern.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

_ Emotionally triggered by retching, related to Noelle, Noelle was either pregnant or had an eating disorder, no, definitely had an eating disorder,  _ Lisa’s power told her. Steeling herself to get through the pain, she wrote ‘Noelle had an eating disorder, Marissa helped with treatment, source of friendship and crush on Marissa’s part’. Jane nodded.

“I know this is difficult, and it might not feel like your place to share, but, did Noelle have any mental health issues we should know about?” she asked gently. Marissa sighed.

“She was bulimic for a while. We met at a support group. I had gone there because my mom was controlling my diet and fat-shaming me, and I was worried I was developing an unhealthy relationship with food. The coordinator told me I was fine, but asked me to be Noelle’s partner because she needed someone to help her out. I ended up helping with the bulimia, and she helped me with dealing with my bitch of a mother.”

_ Stage mom, pushed her hard in the pageant circuit, mildly verbally abusive, very psychologically abusive,  _ Lisa’s power explained. She wrote ‘abusive stage mom’ on the notepad.

“I’m sorry about that. Is there anything else you can tell me about Noelle? Any details are helpful, no matter how small.” Jane asked.

“Not really, sorry.” Marissa replied.

“Well, thank you for what you gave us. Hopefully this will help us treat Noelle.” Jane said, standing up. Lisa stood up, and followed her out of the interview room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For shipping purposes, I'm portraying all of the Travelers except Trickster as generally queer, and that except for Noelle and Trickster, they've all slept together at some point. Luke prefers guys, Cody leans towards the middle of the Kinsey scale, Jess also prefers men. Oliver prefers women, while Sundancer's interest in women is mostly limited to Jess, Noelle and certain celebrities.
> 
> Jane is based on the main character from Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, on NBC. Personally, I think Zoey's power is like a parahuman ability. She got them after a traumatic event, they seem to have weird rules, hell, she has what you could argue was a second trigger event late in the first season. 
> 
> Anyway, Jane works as a parahuman researcher, specializing in how one's psychology affects one's powers. Her brother is actually Amy's therapist.


	57. Synthesis 9.3

**_Taylor_** Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Taylor followed Amy through the streets of Brockton Bay’s Docks until they reached a nondescript alleyway. At the end of the alley, leaning against a dumpster, was Tammy. She was clutching her side, which didn’t do much to stop the flow of blood leaking out and dripping on the ground.

“Hey guys.” she said weakly, “A little help?” She then fell face-first onto the ground. Amy rushed over, turning the teenage cape over to get a better look.

“Weaver, call 911!” she shouted. Taylor fumbled with her phone, managing to dial the numbers. She reported that someone had been shot, and that they needed an ambulance.

* * *

Sitting in the hospital room next to Amy, Taylor sighed. She hadn’t known Tammy all that well, given that the former E88 member had been tight-lipped about her past, but she had known that the blonde had cared a lot about Amy. Amy had been silent during the ambulance ride to the hospital, and had barely spoken a word since.

“Amy?” she asked, lightly nudging the healer. “Are you okay?”

“Not really. The first person I liked since Vicky just got shot and is in a coma. And I couldn’t do shit because I panicked and managed to somehow forget about my powers. This brings up a lot of bad memories.” Amy replied.

“I’m sorry.” Taylor said, putting her arm around Amy. “I’m just wondering, why did she get shot? Was it just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or does this have something to do with the case she was investigating?” she wondered.

“You think she might have been targeted?” Amy asked, looking over at her.

“Maybe. I think we should pay that shelter she was looking at a visit, get her stuff.” Taylor mused.

* * *

After visiting the Brockton Shelter Initiative’s Docks location, Amy and Taylor returned to the PHQ with a cardboard box containing Tammy’s possesions while undercover. Arriving at the dorms, Taylor carefully spread out all the various items. Besides the clothes, there were some toiletries, a couple of paperbacks and a journal which was written entirely in German.

“I don’t suppose you know German, do you?” Taylor asked.

“I have a German-to-English dictionary.” Amy offered.

“That’ll work.”

* * *

After a couple of hours of Amy painstakingly translating Tammy’s journal, she jumped up, making a triumphant noise as she did.

“I did it!” she shouted. Taylor put down one of Tammy’s paperbacks and came over.

“What’ve you got?” she asked. Amy smiled.

“Turns out, Tammy stumbled upon an attempt by Coil to locate unaffiliated parahumans. She thought he might be recruiting for the Undersiders.” she explained.

“Given that it’s now down to Shadow Stalker and Grue, thanks to my mom, that makes sense.” Taylor mused.

“But none of the Undersiders use guns. So who shot Tammy?” Amy wondered. Taylor frowned considering the question.

“Hear me out, but what if Mesmer is a new Undersider?” she asked. Amy pursed her lips.

“But that would mean the Undersiders broke Emma out of prison.” she reasoned. Taylor’s expression turned worried.

“Guess I should get Madison something a little stronger than some Mace, huh?” she asked nervously. Amy frowned nervously.

“It’s a little worse than you think. I’ve seen evidence of a serum that grants powers. What are the odds Emma could get access to something like that?” she asked.

“Given the way my life’s been going, pretty likely.” Taylor said glumly.

* * *

“So, Tammy identified three parahumans.” Amy explained to Taylor, holding up the journal.

“First off is Karolyn Sorenson, a 19 year-old. She’s a Breaker of some sort, turns into a form made out of a magma-like substance. She’s there because she burned down her college dorm when she triggered. Tammy says that out of all of them, she’s the most likely to join Coil.” 

“Next is Gabriella Vasquez, a 20 year-old who has a Master/Stranger ability that lets her animate and control reflections. She’s fleeing an abusive partner and Coil’s representative threatened her with telling him her whereabouts.”

“Lastly, we have Lorelei Wilkins, a Trump who mimics the powers of the last parahuman she touched. She’s 18 and was orphaned in the Leviathan attack.” she finished.

“So, we have to find them and keep Coil from getting his hooks into them.” Taylor said firmly.

“But how do we get in without arousing suspicion?” Amy asked. Taylor smiled.

“I have an idea. How do you feel about dogs?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason Amy forgot about her powers was because the situation was almost exactly like her trigger event.


	58. Synthesis 9.4

Synthesis 9.4

**_Herberta_** Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Herberta looked up from her paperwork to see Jane entering her office. It had been a few hours since she’d left her with Lisa to interview Marissa, so she wondered what was going on.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“First off, I want to say that if anything about what I just did gets out, I will lose my license. And I will blame you for it.”

“Okay.”

“Second, I finished my profile.”

“So what’s your conclusion?”

“I think Noelle might be similar to a case 53.”

“Explain.”

“Well, after talking with Marissa and having Lisa go over and get some info from Faultline…”

“That must have been entertaining to watch.” Herberta interrupted.

“Don’t interrupt me.” Jane said testily. “Anyway, after compiling my own notes and the information Lisa got from Faultline, I’ve concluded that the serums the Travelers took were influenced by the drinker’s mental state. And Noelle was bulimic. If I had to guess, and that’s what you brought me here for, I’d say that her interdimensional voyage may have caused a relapse in her bulimia, which might be why her powers are so screwed up.”

“ _ Might  _ be?”

“I have another theory, but it’s completely insane.”

“After the week I’ve had, nothing seems insane anymore.”

“Okay. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that Noelle’s relapse and the behavior of some of the other Travelers is consistent with Simurgh exposure.” Jane said quietly.

“How is that insane? It’s been theorized that the Simurgh’s song had components that were made of extradimensional frequencies.”

“It implies that either someone managed to replicate the Simurgh’s song, or that the Simurgh is still alive, somehow.”

“Okay, that’s insane. I saw the Simurgh’s body. And that was destroyed. Legend and Alexandria disintegrated it.”

“Are you sure?” Jane asked.

“Positive.”

“I’m just saying what I saw. And what I saw was a textbook case of Simurgh exposure. Noelle’s relapse, a tight-knit group falling to pieces, my notes literally read like one of the Simurgh victim case studies.”

“So on top of dealing with Coil, and investigating a possible conspiracy inside the PRT, I have to make sure the Simurgh’s actually dead.”

“Well, you said it was possible that someone figured out how to replicate her power. I mean, you could do it.” Jane offered, raising an eyebrow at Herberta.

“Probably.”

“That means it’s possible another Tinker did this. In all likelihood, we’ve just stumbled upon one of Haywire or Teacher’s old plans.” Jane mused.

“Well, that makes me feel a lot better. We just killed another Endbringer. I’d hate to find out they can come back.”


	59. Synthesis 9.5

**_Amy_** Thursday, July 7, 2011

“This is never going to work.” Amy said, tugging on the leash connected to an enormous Siberian Husky.

“It’ll work.” Taylor assured her. 

“This still feels wrong.”

“Ethically, this is about as wrong as dressing your dog up as a service animal to go to a movie.” Taylor said.

“So, about as bad as committing fraud.” Amy shot back.

“Not fraud.” Rachel interjected. “The people still get to play with the dogs, right? You two are just going to ask around about those ladies you’re interested in.” Madison turned and gave Taylor a look at that.

“Not romantically.” Taylor clarified. Madison exhaled a sigh of relief.

* * *

As they entered the Brockton Shelter Initiative, Amy looked around. There were people milling about in the lobby, looking nervously at the dogs. With her power, Amy could see evidence of malnutrition, bruises and other injuries spread across the people gathering. As Rachel explained how to pet the dogs, with Madison demonstrating, Taylor and Amy snuck off to the lady’s area.

Entering the lady’s common area, Amy saw one of the women they were looking for. Gabriella Vasquez was curled up on a sofa, reading a textbook.

“Gabriella Vasquez?” Taylor asked. The Hispanic woman jumped to her feet, her textbook tumbling to the floor. 

“ _ Ay, no! _ ” she whispered, then rushed toward the door. Before she could reach it, Taylor pulled up one sleeve, revealing the stinger shaped gauntlet. She fired a dart at the door handle, knocking the door shut. A moment later, containment foam began to bubble over the door knob, making it impossible to use. As Gabriella looked panickedly around the room, Amy glared at Taylor.

“You brought your gauntlets?” she hissed, walking over towards Gabriella, her hands out in a non-threatening manner.

“I was expecting to use them on Coil’s recruiter, if at all. But you have to admit, it was a good thing I brought them, though.” Taylor replied. Gabriella gave them a look.

“You don’t work for Coil?” she asked.

“No, we’re friends of Tammy’s.” Amy replied. “How did you know you were approached by Coil?”

“Process of elimination. I don’t fit the mold for the ABB or E88. Coil’s organization is the only one with the competence and resources to recruit.” Gabriella replied.

“Clever. Tammy told us that Coil was threatening you?” Amy asked. Gabriella nodded gravely.

“ _ Si.  _ His representative said that if I didn’t cooperate, he’d let my ex know where I am. Since my ex is an abusive  _ pendejo,  _ I’d rather not run into him.” she explained. “I told him I needed time to think about it, but he’s coming back today.”

“How are we going to get rid of him?” Amy wondered. “Especially without putting anyone at risk.” Taylor smiled.

“I think I know someone who can help.”

**_Taylor_ **

Taylor returned to the common room with Madison in tow.

“First off, I need to tell you some things.” she told the brunette.

“Like that you’re Weaver?” Madison asked. Taylor gaped at her.

“How did you know?” she asked.

“Weaver’s tall and thin, and you both have the same hairstyle. You should get some padding in your costume.” Madison explained. Taylor pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Great, anyone who went to school with me probably figured out I’m a superhero.” she said glumly.

“Actually, I took care of that, said that if you were a cape, you’d have to be a Case 53.” Madison admitted.

“Well, thank god for your bitchy rumor-spreading.” Taylor said. Madison smiled nervously.

“You’re not mad?” she asked.

“I’m not happy that you spread a rumor about me, but I appreciate you trying to keep my identity safe. You’re like my fixer.” Taylor replied.

“How well does that pay?” Madison asked teasingly.

“You get my eternal gratitude.” Taylor retorted.

“Fine, now why do you need me?” Madison asked. Taylor sighed.

“We need your help getting a guy banned from here. He works for Coil and is blackmailing this woman,” she gestured to Gabriella, “With telling her abusive ex where she is.” Madison smiled maliciously.

“I have some ideas.” she said.

* * *

“I’ve never met that girl in my life!” Coil’s recruiter insisted. The receptionist glared at him.

“Regardless, sir, you’re no longer welcome here. You have two minutes before I call the police.” she said firmly. Coil’s recruiter grumbled and headed for the exit as Madison, Amy and Taylor watched.

“I know we helped that woman, but why do I feel shitty?” Taylor asked.

“Probably because we accused a man of something he didn’t do.” Amy replied.

“Oh, relax guys. He may not have hit me, but he’s probably guilty of something. He worked for Coil.” Madison interjected.

“Good point. I still feel bad, though.” Taylor admitted.


	60. Synthesis 9.6

**_Herberta_** Friday, July 8, 2011

“So you guys investigated Tammy’s case all by yourselves?” Herberta asked. Taylor nodded, looking a little nervous.

“Okay. First off, you should probably have asked for help, or at least told someone what you were doing. Second, I’m glad you’re safe and I’m honestly impressed with your work. If you guys want to come work at PICIS when you’re older, let me know.” Herberta said, giving Taylor, Amy and Madison a comforting smile.

As the three young women filed out of the office, Jane came in. She was wearing a blue sweater and a red button-down.

“So how’s the treatment plan coming?” Herberta asked the redhead.

“Not great. No one’s ever really made any headway on restoring the forms of Case 53’s. They always end up reverting back.” Jane replied, running a hand through her hair.

“Whose method has worked the best?”

“Panacea’s.”

“Huh. Luckily for us, she’s currently squatting in the Ward’s dorms right now.”

“Huh. That is lucky.”

“Yeah. Our medical bills have dropped 40% in the past two months. What other options do we have, though?”

“We could try tracking down the composition of the rest of the formula. According to Marissa, the formula was labeled ‘X-0-7-9-6’ and was called ‘Division’.” Jane said. “It was also composed of 20% of a substance called ‘Balance’.” she looked down at her notepad. “It was labeled ‘C-0-0-7-2’.”

“That would imply that whoever developed the formulas has a system identifying the production. The length of the identification tags suggests a much higher level of production. This level of production suggests a rogue state. Oooorr…” she stretched out the last word.

“Or?” Jane prompted.

“Or we just found out how Teacher altered and gave people powers.” Herberta explained, excitement clear in her voice.

“Explain.”

“Well, the PRT has never figured out how Teacher’s power worked. But some people theorized that he was a Tinker who developed serums that gave people powers. I always suspected he was holding out on the good stuff.”

“So you think if we go through Teacher’s bases, we’ll find vials like the ones the Travelers took?”

“Pretty much.”

“So, we’re going with the assumption that this is one of Teacher’s plots?”

“For now. Unless there’s evidence that contradicts that theory, it’s the one that makes the most sense.”

“Are you going to make me come with you?” Jane asked.

“Nah. I can do this on my own. If I need help, I’ll call in PICIS.” Herberta replied, typing something into a computer. “FYI, I told Dragon about your theory on the Simurgh’s power, she might be able to develop a counter-measure based on the theory.”

“Thanks.”

* * *

A couple hours later, Herberta was sitting on the floor in her office, going through the stacks of paper about Teacher’s organization.

Teacher had started out in London, but had fled fairly quickly after the King’s Men had linked him with the assasination of the Prime Minister. He’d left England about six months after his trigger event, with little in the way of infrastructure. In the US, though, he had built several bases across the Eastern parts of the country. The PRT had found bases in Maine, Louisiana, Virginia, D.C. , and Florida. Most of them had been exhaustively searched, but there were still some sites in Louisiana and D.C. that hadn’t been fully cleared. Since Teacher was currently in the Birdcage, the urgency of cataloguing his facilities had dropped. _Until now_ , Herberta thought. 

Reaching up to her desk, she pulled the phone off and set it down beside her. Dialing a number she put the receiver to her ear.

“ _Regional Director DiNozzo here, what’s up?_ ” Came the voice over the phone. DiNozzo was the head of PICIS’s Baltimore office and had spearheaded a lot of the initial investigations into Teacher’s thralls.

“Tony, it’s Herberta.” she told him.

“ _Herbie? Why are you calling?_ ” Tony asked.

“I have a case in Brockton Bay that I think might have something to do with the Taught.”

“ _How so?_ ”

“I have a case of people getting powers from a vial.”

“ _Any Thinker powers?_ ”

“No.”

“ _What makes you think it’s related to Teacher? He was only ever seen granting Thinker powers._ ”

“I always thought he was holding out. If I’m wrong, I came up there for nothing. If not, I can help someone in a lot of trouble.”

“ _What do you want from me?_ ” Tony asked.

“I’d like permission to look through some of Teacher’s bases in Virginia.”

“ _The unprocessed ones?_ ”

“Yep.”

“ _I’m going to have to insist you go with one of my agents, but I’m sure I can authorize some visits._ ” Tony said, after a pause.

“Thanks, Tony. I appreciate the favor.”

“ _Glad I could help. Just let me know when you’re coming, and I’ll have everything ready._ ” Tony said.

“Understood. Bye, Tony.” Herberta said, before hanging up and dialing another number.

“Christopher?” she said


	61. Interlude 9.a-Accord

“Citrine, have the people from Cauldron gotten back to us about that vial I asked about?” Harold asked, sitting ramrod-straight at his desk. Citrine entered his office, elegant in her yellow attire.

“Sir, they’ve said they have it in stock and are ready for an exchange. You simply need to name a time and place.”

Harold paused, considering the situation. He had long relied on Cauldron as the source of powers for his organization. But recent events had left him with a bad taste in his mouth regarding the covert organization. Their continued support of Coil, in spite of his use of addiction as a leash, was problematic. The fact that their products had created the cause of the biggest instance of chaos he’d seen in years was also troubling. Admittedly, the incident in question hadn’t been Miss Meinhardt’s fault, but it was still chaos, and he abhorred chaos.

“Tell them I’ll come pick it up tomorrow at noon. The usual place. And inform our newest member he will be coming along. I’d like to get his read on the situation.” He informed his assistant. Citrine nodded. Once she had left, Harold stood and walked over to the bookcase that took up an entire wall of his office. Tapping a hidden button, he watched as the bookcase split apart and retracted into the adjoining walls, revealing a wide spiral staircase.

Walking down the staircase, Harold pondered recent events. Artificer was interested in Cauldron, which was worrisome. Cauldron was the sort of organization that wouldn’t think twice about having the Tinker murdered. Which made Harold feel a twinge of sadness. While the heroine had been in Boston, Harold had grown to enjoy her rather chaotic antics. He had deduced that she was Citrine’s fiancee, and, while regretful of the loss, had prepared to let his best lieutenant retire from the Ambassadors. When Jean had come running into his office, sobbing and sniffling over his immaculate furniture, it had taken all his self-control not to find the Tinker and wring the life from her neck. But as Citrine moved on, so too had Harold.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, Harold was shaken from his thoughts by the retort of a gunshot. He then felt the shift in time signifying his prisoner had cheated death once again. Reaching over, he flicked a switch on the wall.

“What… do… you want, asshole?” came the hoarse voice of his prisoner.  _ Artificer asked if I had killed him, and I didn’t lie, I did kill him,  _ Harold thought,  _ I just wish that, for once, he’d stay dead.  _ He sighed loudly and adjusted his cuff links.

“I would simply like to confirm, one last time, the mixture in the vial Miss Meinhardt drank.” he said simply. The prisoner spat at him, and Harold sidestepped the projectile.

“I.. already told… you. 80% Division, 20% Balance.” the prisoner said haltingly. Harold nodded, then flicked the switch on the wall again. As he ascended the staircase, he heard the retort of another gunshot.

* * *

Harold checked his watch.  _ 11:59.  _ He sat down at the picnic table under the gazebo.

“He isn’t late yet, boss.” came the smooth, even voice of his newest subordinate, Destro. Formerly known as Kaiser, Max Anders had been moved to Boston with his daughter as part of a deal with the PRT. Kamil Armstrong, the local PRT director, coming off the heels of an unfortunate incident involving a Protectorate hero using a racial slur, had felt distinctly uncomfortable resettling a neo-Nazi, even one who didn’t believe in the ideology. He’d reached out to Harold, who, having owed Armstrong a favor, had accepted the former villain into his territory. Anders had gotten close to one of his oldest lieutenants, Othello, and Harold had extended an invitation to join his organization, an invitation that Anders had readily accepted.

Destro, as he now called himself, wore a slate grey suit with a silver tie, but the thing that distinguished him from looking like a normal businessman was a layer of silver metal covering his head and neck. It conformed to his skin, making him look like his head was made of metal, save for his blue eyes, which glinted with intelligence.

“Hello, Accord.” came a soft, almost feminine, voice, shaking Harold from his thoughts.

“Ah, Simon, right on time.” he said, getting to his feet. The person standing across from him, Harold had never been entirely sure whether they were male or female. They wore a woman’s suit, albeit with pants instead of a skirt, but had a distinctly masculine energy, at least according to Citrine. Simon had been his contact with Cauldron for the past five years. Before then it had been a mute blonde woman who dressed like an accountant. Harold wondered what had happened to her.

“You use your real name? Seems kinda stupid if you ask me.” Destro remarked as handed over the briefcase filled with cash. Simon popped the clasps and flipped it open, then closed it, reclasped it and let it fall to their side. They handed a small carrying case to Destro.

“Not really, my real name’s Eli.” they said, grimacing a moment later. Making eye contact with Destro, they said firmly, “I’m gonna have to ask you to forget that.” Harold silently thanked himself for the Tinkertech contact lenses and earplugs that were designed to protect him from Master/Stranger effects. Toybox was a boon, if one knew what they were looking for. Destro nodded, then shook his head in confusion. Simon held out their hand.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Accord.” they said as Harold took their hand and shook it. They left the gazebo and headed off disappearing into the throngs of park-goers after a few moments. After a minute, Harold gestured for Destro to follow him. As they made their way through the park, Destro sidled up beside him.

“I’m just wondering who this is for. We don’t have any new recruits.” he mused.

“I obtained this in order to help an old friend.” Harold explained tersely.

“Well, that’s good enough for me.” Destro replied.


	62. Interlude 9.b-Coil

“Sir, the package has been retrieved.” one of Thomas’ squad captains reported.  _ Excellent,  _ he thought,  _ I can begin the next step.  _ Acknowledging the mercenary, he rose from his chair and strode around his office.

Things had gone well these past few days. Both Miss Sorenson and Mis Vasquez had made contact with Mrs. Dallon, expressing their interest in joining the Azorius-sponsored cape team. As soon as he obtained the cooperation of some more members, he’d be able to debut the team. A couple of staged battles against the Undersiders and the Travelers and they’d be much more popular than the Protectorate. He’d be able to ride the popularity of the team to the Mayor’s office. Once there, he’d be able to put the rest of his plans into place.

But, for now he had to work on his latest venture. He had learned from the Travelers, using a great deal of alternate timeline torture, that they had gotten their powers from Cauldron vials. They hadn’t known this, but their ignorance served his purposes well. He had also managed to discover the composition of the vial that Noelle had taken, which had allowed him to obtain the same formula. He’d use the Balance formula to cure Noelle, and the rest to replicate her condition with the new recruit, Miss Barnes, who could serve as a force multiplier for the Undersiders.

* * *

The next day, Coil fumed as he paced around his office. The attempt to fix Noelle via the Balance formula had failed. Trickster had shouted at him, accusing him of screwing over the Travelers. It had taken all of his negotiating skills to assure him that was not the case. The only saving grace was that Miss Barnes’ procedure had gone perfectly. She was already consuming several pigs in order to feed her powers. Cursing under his breath, Thomas turned his attention to his next target.

  
_ Miss Clements is certainly in for a rude awakening,  _ he thought, turning over the second vial he’d obtained in his hands.


	63. Monstrosity 10.1

**_Taylor_** Monday, August 8, 2011

Taylor sat down at a table at Arcadia High. She was soon joined by Chris, Dean, Victoria and Amy. 

“How’s your first day going?” Dean asked warmly, putting his arm around Victoria.

“Okay. I got a little turned around at first.” Taylor admitted. Amy giggled.

“You’re doing better than Lily. She’s lucky she’s cute, because she has no sense of direction.”

“Do I detect a crush, Amy?” Chris asked. Amy blushed.

‘No!” she insisted defensively. Before Chris could tease her further, Taylor’s cell buzzed. She checked the Caller ID, which told her it was Madison calling.

“Hey guys. Madison’s calling to check in with me, could you keep it down?” she asked as she answered the phone.

_ “Taylor, I need you to come to Winslow now!”  _ Madiaon said emphatically. Her voice had an odd buzz to it that Taylor assumed was interference. She turned to the others, gesturing for them to listen as she put the phone on speaker.

“Maddy, you’re on speaker, what’s going on?” Taylor asked nervously, already mentally willing a large swarm of bugs to congregate in the parking lot.

_ “SomeoneputsomethinginmydrinkandIwentintothebathroomandpassedoutandnowIlooklikeabug.”  _ Madison explained rapidly, barely pausing to breathe. Everyone looked at Chris, who explained what she had said more slowly.

“Hi Madison, Victoria here. When you say you look like a bug, can you elaborate?” Victoria said, leaning towards the phone.

_ “I-I have antennas and m-my skin’s all hard and grey. I’m c-covered in this light fur and I also have two extra arms. I think I might have four boobs now, but I’m afraid to check.”  _ Madison explained, hiccuping partway through. Victoria’s expression became concerned. She stabbed the mute button.

“Guys, this is serious. I think whatever was in her drink turned her into a Case 53.” she said nervously. “We need to get over there. If the PRT gets there first, they’ll test and keep her for observation, just to try and understand Case 53’s better. It’ll ruin her life.” Dean frowned.

“I hate to say it, but Vicky’s not being paranoid. We’re her best shot to avoid her disappearing into a PRT research facility. We need to get over to Winslow. I’ll find Lily and get her to cover for us, you guys head over to the school and find out what’s going on.” He picked up his lunch tray and went over and dumped it, then headed for the cafeteria exit. Chris stood up next, beckoning for everyone to follow him.

* * *

Standing in the parking lot as they waited for Victoria to bring her van around, Taylor turned to the rest of her friends.

“What do we do now?” she asked helplessly.

“We wait for Vicky to bring the van around, we get to the school and we help Madison.” Chris said firmly. “Then she joins the Wards and we all are nice to her.”

“And what if the PRT demands she go to some secret research facility?” Taylor asked, wringing her hands.

“I think I still have my resignation letter from when I met Piggy the first time. It’s a post-it that says ‘I quit, fuck you.’, but it works.” Chris said.

“Your plan is to quit?” Taylor asked. Chris smiled.

“No. My plan is to get as many Wards and Protectorate heroes to threaten to quit if they take Madison. I figure I can get Missy, Dennis and Rory, easy. With Armsmaster still in recovery, Herbie’s in charge, and she isn’t going to stand for that. That brings Hannah and Kayden too, so we basically have everyone but Prism ready to quit over Madison.” Chris explained, somewhat smugly.

“Huh. That’s actually not a bad idea.” Taylor said as a nearby door opened and Dean jogged over.

“Lily’s covering for us,” he said, “and if the situation extends beyond school hours, she’ll be there once classes let out. Who has their gear with them?” he asked. Chris, Taylor and Amy raised their hands. Dean nodded at Chris, who pulled a high-tech pistol out of his backpack.

“I keep one on me at all times, just in case.” he explained. Dean glanced at Taylor.

“I have my whole suit. Thanks to Herberta, it fits in the laptop sleeve.” Dean nodded.

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to drop Taylor, Chris and Amy off, they’ll go find Madison while Vicky and I go down to the PHQ and get my armor and some more stuff for Chris. Chris, give Amy your pistol, she and Taylor will go find Madison while you stay outside and wait for Vicky and I. Text me a list of what you’ll need.” Chris nodded, handing Amy his pistol and beginning to explain how to use it as a very high-end minivan pulled up beside them.

* * *

The plan had seemed like a great one until they got to the school and saw crowds of students standing in the parking lot.

As Victoria slowed to a stop, Dean leapt out of the passenger seat and strode toward one of the adults, leaving the passenger-side door hanging open. As the rear doors slid open and everyone filed out, Dean returned.

“Alright, new plan. Amy, you and Vicky are going to the PHQ. While Vicky gets my armor and Chris’s equipment, you need to find Lisa. The school called the PRT when they ran into a bunch of giant bugs.” he said, turning to Chris. “Chris, you’re going with Taylor to find Madison. I’ll stay here and try to run interference with the PRT, keep them from nuking the site from orbit. Everybody clear on the plan?” he asked, looking around. Everyone nodded.

“Let’s get to work.”


	64. Monstrosity 10.2

**_Taylor_** Monday, August 8, 2011

As Taylor entered the school, followed by Chris, she was struck by how foreign it felt, like she was entering a new place, not the school she’d gone to for two whole years. She didn’t realize she’d paused until Chris bumped into her.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, just remembering.” she admitted. Chris nodded.

“Personally, I hate school, especially math. My ADHD makes paying attention a pain in the ass, and the dyscalculia makes math class a special kind of hell.” he said, sweeping his pistol as he scanned the hallways.

“And the addition of giant bugs is making you hate it more?” Taylor asked.

“Pretty much.”

“I actually like school. My mother was a college professor. I loved school as a kid.” Taylor said, a note of wistfulness in her voice.

“Less so when Sophia tortured you.” Chris inferred as Taylor turned and glared at him.

“Sorry. That was mean.” he said, after a moment.

“It’s fine.” she said. They continued in silence. As they rounded the corner, they saw something Taylor would remember for the rest of her life.

It looked like the unholy offspring of a bulldog and an ant. Its body was covered in chitin, with a thin layer of down poking through, and it had six insectoid legs. It had three sets of eyes running up the sides of its head, which looked like a pair of beetle heads melded together, giving it the appearance of having two tusks jutting from its chin.

“What the fuck is that?” Chris yelped, pointing his gun at the creature. It tilted its head at them, looking almost confused. It then gestured with its head for them to follow it, then turned and headed up the corridor. Giving Chris a sheepish look, Taylor followed it.

“If it leads us to more of them and we die, I’m blaming you.” Chris said as they made their way to a women’s restroom. Pausing outside the restroom, Chris fidgeted nervously.

“What’s up?” Taylor asked, seeing the creature push open the door and go inside.

“I feel really uncomfortable going in there.” Chris explained. Taylor nodded.

“I’ll go in, then. You don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.” Taylor said, turning to enter the restroom.

Pushing the door inwards, Taylor peered into the restroom. There were at least half a dozen more of the creatures lounging around, along with swarms of normal insects streaming in through the air vents.

But the most prominent thing in the room was the nearly six foot-tall figure with four arms, curled up in a fetal position, rocking back and forth.

“Madison? It’s Taylor.” Taylor said softly. The figure looked up and got to their feet.

The face looked like Madison’s but was now covered in skin-colored fur, with circles around her now-larger blue eyes. She had a pair of antennae poking through her hair to hang in front of her forehead. Her neck was surrounded by a ruff of fur.

Her body looked weird, with what looked like two pairs of breasts stacked on top of one another in a way that made her shirt bunch up weirdly. She had two sets of arms, which looked fleshy, if covered in soft fur, at the top, but changed into chitinous insect forearms with three-fingered hands at the ends. Her lower body remained unchanged, still wearing her favorite pair of jeans, although Taylor thought they looked a little short on her.

“Hey Taylor.” Madison said, a low buzz accompanying her words. 

“I literally have no words. There are literally no words in the English language to explain what’s going on in my head right now. Are you okay?” Taylor asked, running a hand through her hair.

“Other than the fact that I’m part insect now and can make monsters inside my body? I’m peachy.” Madison said dryly. Taylor stared at her.

“What?” she asked. Madison sat down and smiled.

“So my power seems to be that I can summon insects, which my body absorbs.” she closed her eyes and several of the normal-sized insects crawled onto her, disappearing a moment later.

“After a couple minutes, one of those giant bugs pops out of the huge vagina in my back.” She turned her back to Taylor, revealing an orifice on her shoulders that Taylor had to admit looked a little like a vagina.

“So you absorb the insects and convert them into bigger minions?” she asked. “Can you control the insects?”

“Nope. They just follow me around.” Madison grimaced as a rat-sized version of the creatures all around them scampered onto Madison’s shoulder. Taylor let out a sigh of relief.

“Okay.” she said. “Chris, you can come in now!” she shouted.


	65. Monstrosity 10.3

**_Lisa_** Monday, August 8, 2011

“Amy, why are you here?” Lisa asked as she unlocked the cabinet containing her sidearm. She’d just gotten a call saying that Winslow was being evacuated due to “giant bugs”. It was days like this that made her hate her job.

“Are you headed to Winslow?” Amy asked.

“Yeah, why?” Lisa replied.

“Taylor got a call from Madison saying that she’d changed into something. Dean, Vicky Chris and I went with her to check it out, but when we got there the whole school was evacuated.”

“And you think this has something to do with Madison.” Lisa guessed. Using her power she extrapolated the rest of what Amy knew.

“Aw, fuck.” she swore as she holstered her pistol. “Follow me.”

* * *

Pulling up in front of the Winslow parking lot, Lisa groaned and got out. Meeting Amy and Victoria in the parking lot, she headed over to where she saw Dean. 

“Hey, Lise!” he said cheerfully. “Fancy seeing you here.” Lisa sighed and gave him an annoyed look.

“Sorry.” he said apologetically.

“It’s fine. Now what do we know about the situation?” she asked. Dean’s easy smile faded to a neutral expression as he got down to business.

“Madison called Taylor around lunchtime, saying that she thought someone put something in her drink. She said she was mutated into a bug person.” he began. Suddenly, Lisa’s power interrupted her.

_ Hiding something, has a theory about what happened, doesn’t want to, CAN’T share it, worried about what it means.  _ Dean paused, stammering a bit as if distracted. _ Just realized I know about this now, plans to wait until a less stressful time to talk about it. _

Shooting Dean a glance that said they’d be talking later, Lisa gestured for him to continue.

“When we got here, everyone was outside. I spoke to the principal, and he said the school had been evacuated and the PRT called due to sightings of ‘giant bugs’. I had Taylor and Chris go in to find Madison, while Amy and Victoria got my suit and found you.” Dean’s phone rang. “That should be them now.” he remarked, answering and putting the call on speaker.

“Hello?” he asked.

_ “Hey, Dean. We found Madison.”  _ Taylor answered.

“That’s great.”

_ “There’s a problem, though. She’s a Case 53 who creates minions inside of her body.”  _ Taylor reported.  _ “I’m worried the PRT is going to assume she’s the next Nilbog and kill her.” _

“Hey! If anyone’s going to be the next Nilbog, it’ll be me, I killed him!” Amy interjected. Lisa glared at her. Dean gave Amy a pensive look.

“Amy, if you had continuous contact with a Case 53, could you suppress their mutation?” he asked.

“Yeah, but it won’t last. Why do you think I don’t get requests to help Case 53’s anymore?” she answered. Dean snapped his fingers.

“I think I have a plan for how to get Madison out of this.” he said. “Vicky, head to Arcadia and get Lily over here ASAP. Chris,” he directed his voice to the phone, “Can you build an attachment for Lily’s bolts that could make a pipe burst? To make it look like the pipe sprung a leak?”

“Probably.” Chris replied. “I’ll have to raid the science lab for parts. Should I make it self-destruct afterwards?”

“Yeah, but no fire,” Dean responded, “This thing’s going in a gas line.”

“Got it.” Dean turned to Amy.

“Amy, we’re going to sneak you into the school. Taylor will bring you to Madison. Your job is to make her look like a normal person until we get her in the van.” Lisa smirked.

“I see what you’re doing.” she said. “You’re going to make it look like the giant bugs were hallucinations caused by a gas leak, and get Madison out in the confusion.” Dean nodded.

“Pretty much.” he said. Amy reached into her backpack and pulled out a spray bottle, handing it to Dean.

“This’ll hide Lily.” she explained. “It’s a modified fungus that expands and mimics its background. It should camouflage you well enough to the naked eye.” She handed it to Dean, who held it gingerly with both hands. With that, she walked off towards the school building. She was stopped by Victoria, who handed her a small tablet Amy tucked into her robes. She then continued on her way towards the school.

**_Amy_ **

Amy closed her eyes and used her powers to make the innumerable quantities and varieties of bacteria on her skin and clothes transform into a living cloak that made her virtually invisible to the naked eye. She timed her use just as she reached the crowd of students, so she appeared to vanish into the crowd. Making her way into the school, she paused once inside, dropped her bacterial invisibility cloak, and pulled out her phone.

Amy:  _ Where r u?  _

A moment later, she got a reply.

Taylor:  _ In bathroom by cafeteria. Hurry.  _

Amy made her way over to the bathroom by the cafeteria. Opening the door, she got a look at what Madison looked like now, saw the bugs, and sighed.

“Damn it.” she groaned. Taylor waved her over. As Amy approached her, she saw how stressed Taylor was.

“You okay?” she asked. Taylor nodded unconvincingly. Amy decided to let it slide for now, but she’d ask Taylor about it later. She moved over to Madison. The insectoid girl smiled thinly, but Amy could see she was teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

“Madison?” she asked.

“Yeah?” the girl replied.

“This is going to feel a bit weird, but I’m going to make you look like you used to long enough that we can get you somewhere safe.” Amy said, putting one hand on Madison’s shoulder. After a few moments, Madison looked exactly like she had the last time Amy had seen her.

“Now, you only have about half an hour before you revert back.” she said. Taylor, who had been texting furiously while Amy had worked spoke up.

“Head to the back entrance by the gym. Lisa will be there to lead you to Vicky’s van. Lisa says she has a plan from there.” the brunette explained. Madison nodded and left. After a moment, Taylor turned to Amy.

“Now all we need to do is get rid of these.” she said, gesturing to the bug creatures.


	66. Monstrosity 10.4

**_Taylor_** Monday, August 8, 2011

While Amy turned the bug dogs into goo and cleaned up the bathroom, Taylor went over to the shop classroom, where Chris was working on the second part of their plan.

“How’s it going, Chris?” she asked, shouting to be heard over the noise of a sander. Chris turned off the sander and pulled up his safety goggles, resting them on his forehead.

“Almost done,” he said. “I just have to coat it in something so it’ll self-destruct when it comes in contact with the gas.” Taylor nodded and headed back to the cafeteria, where she saw Lily walking through the double doors. Taylor waved her over.

“So what do you need me to do?” Lily asked. She was still in her school clothes and smelled faintly of the spray used to protect shoes from athlete’s foot. Taylor explained the plan Dean had outlined and Lily nodded.

“Sounds good. Nobody gets hurt.” she said. Taylor led her over to the chem lab, where Chris had just finished packing some unidentified powder onto the bolt he’d made.

“Alright, it’s done. You’re going to want to wash your hands when you’re done, because the powder reacts with the gas to make a very strong acid that will burn through skin.” he warned.

“Good to know.” Lily remarked dryly. She turned to Taylor. “You know where a gas line is that I can see? My power doesn’t work if I can’t see the target.”

Taylor led them past the cafeteria to the kitchen loading dock and pointed to a pipe.

“That’s the one. I’ll get Amy so she can make sure we don’t pass out from gas exposure.” she said.

* * *

Once Amy had arrived and inoculated them with a strain of bacteria designed to process the natural gas, Lily stood behind the pipe, dart in hand.

“Ready, everyone?” she asked. Taylor nodded. Lily smiled and then flicked her wrist, flinging the dart down the pipe. A moment later, they heard a crackle, then the telltale continuous hiss of gas escaping the pipe.

“Alright people, let’s go.” Lily said as everyone filed out of the loading dock to meet up with the others.

* * *

Once they’d met up with Dean, Vicky and Lisa, Taylor gave Lisa a hug and a light peck on the lips.

“Next time a mutual friend needs help with cape stuff, I should be your first call.” she said semi-seriously.

“Yeah, yeah.” Taylor replied, nodding that she understood what Lisa was saying. Dean gave Lily a high-five.

“Co-Leaders for the win!” Dean said triumphantly.

It was at that moment that they heard a loud boom and a burst of flame as all the windows in the school blew out. Dean turned to Chris.

“Chris, I thought I said no fire!” he said sternly. Chris put his hands up defensively.

“I didn’t!” he protested. “I used a compound I made in the…” he trailed off. “... Chem lab.”

Everybody turned to look at the school.

“Did we just commit a terrorist act?” Taylor asked.

“What ‘we’, kemosabe?” Lisa asked as Dean smacked Chris on the back of the head.


	67. Monstrosity 10.5

**_Herberta_** Monday, August 8, 2011

Louisiana was hell. It was so fucking hot. It reminded Herberta of the hottest days of summers in Indiana, although it was a fair bit more humid. It was those summers that had made her appreciate the temperate weather in Boston. But she sucked in a breath of air and headed over to the small office building that made up the New Orleans and Louisiana branch of the Parahuman Incident and Criminal Investigation Service, colloquially known as ‘Pisces’.

Entering the office, she rapped her knuckles on the front desk. A couple moments later, an average-looking man in jeans and a leather jacket came into the reception. When he saw Herberta, his face broke into a massive grin.

“Chris!” Herberta shouted, rushing over to give him a hug. Christopher LaSalle was one of her oldest friends from Pisces. They’d met when a suspect from New Orleans had fled to Brockton Bay. Chris had been charming and sweet to her, even though she’d been frazzled and klutzy the entire time. Sure, he’d asked her to dinner, but it turned out dinner had meant a sports bar where they watched college football and cracked jokes. They’d kept in touch over the years, worked a couple of cases together, and Herberta had told herself he’d be part of her wedding party. 

“Herbie! What brings you to our fair town?” he asked, his Alabama drawl clear as day. Herberta smiled.

“I’m looking into Teacher’s old base in the swamp. I called you, remember?” she replied.

“A month ago! I thought you’d forgotten or that it must have not been important.” LaSalle admitted sheepishly.

“Sorry.” Herberta said.

“Nah, it’s all good.” LaSalle assured her. “I am in the middle of a case, so one of our consultants will have to take you.” he added.

“Who’s the consultant?” Herberta asked.

“Hannah Khoury. She’s a Tinker. She gets nervous around other Tinkers, though, so be careful.” LaSalle told her.

“Why does she get nervous?” Herberta asked. LaSalle’s face fell.

“She has an issue with her powers. Once she starts Tinkerin’, she can’t really stop until her body quits on her. She spent a couple months in the asylum.” he said, referring to the network of parahuman in-patient mental health facilities. “It ruined her job, marriage, and cost her custody of her kid. She works at the NCIS branch office, but she builds tech for us on the condition we keep her from getting hurt by her situation.”

“That’s horrible.”

“It sucks, and I feel mighty awful for her everyday. The only reason she isn’t gone from NCIS is because something they did caused her trigger event. Her ex-husband threatened them with the lawsuit to end all lawsuits.”

“Why’d he leave then?” Herberta asked as they headed toward the squadroom. LaSalle shrugged. Seeing Sebastian, LaSalle’s partner, she waved. Sebastian waved back. LaSalle led Herberta into his office, which was still covered in University of Alabama stuff. 

“Why do you want to poke around Teacher’s old base in the bayou?” he asked. “Terrell’s in the Birdcage, and all of his thralls are in prison. What’s changed?”

“I think I figured out how Teacher gave people powers and I have reason to believe some of his plans may still be in play.” Herberta explained. “I also think he may have been hiding what powers he could give.” LaSalle stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“And you think his base might be where he hid all the good stuff.” he mused. “Alrighty then. I’ll call Hannah and you can head over tomorrow. Did you get a hotel, or are you sleeping on the couch?” he asked teasingly. Herberta smiled and flipped him off as she left.

* * *

The next day, Herberta arrived at the PICIS office in a rental. Entering the squadroom, she saw a dusky-skinned thirtysomething in a light brown leather jacket. She gave Herberta a nervous look. Herberta figured this was the Hannah LaSalle had mentioned. She walked over extending her hand.

“I’m Herberta Baker.” she introduced herself. The woman smiled nervously as she shook Herberta’s hand.

“I’m Hannah.” she glanced around nervously. “Is Agent LaSalle here?” she asked anxiously.

“In here!” LaSalle said from his office. “And Hannah, stop looking like a spooked dog. Herberta doesn’t bite.” he added. Hannah gave Herberta a skittish look, but the both of them headed into LaSalle’s office.

LaSalle was looking over a case file and glanced up as Hannah and Herberta entered.

“Alright.” he drawled. “I’m sending the both of y’all in with a full contingent of PRT troops. They’re for your protection, so let them clear the room first.” When Hannah gave him a questioning look, he explained.

“I’m just going over the ground rules, because someone,” he gave an exaggerated glare at Herberta, “tends to forget those rules.”

“It was one case!” Herberta protested. She noticed Hannah smile a little smugly at LaSalle’s comments. She’d have to figure out why the woman had gone from scared of her to enjoying her embarrassment later.

* * *

After LaSalle had finished explaining how they’d do this, Hannah and Herberta got into Herberta’s rental and drove down to the docks where they boarded one of several self-driving fan-boats meant to take them to Teacher’s base. Once they were on their way, Herberta turned to Hannah.

“Do you have some sort of problem with me?” she asked.

“No?” Hannah responded uncertainly.

“LaSalle gave me the Cliff Notes on what’s going on with you. If you’re uncomfortable around me ‘cause I’m a Tinker, that’s okay.” Herberta said. Hannah scowled.

“Of course you’d think it’s about you, because of course it’s about you, you’re Artificer.” she said bitterly.

“It isn’t about me?” Herberta asked, confused.

“Of course it’s about you!” Hannah exclaimed. “It’s about the fact that you get to be a hero with a girlfriend and a kid, while I live alone in a crappy apartment because my Tinkering puts me in the hospital. You get powers that let you make the world better, when all mine have done is ruin my life!” she ranted. Herberta sighed.

“I suppose it might look that way to others.” she said, walking over to sit down beside Hannah. “But I’ll tell you a secret, getting them was hell.”

“What do you mean?” Hannah asked.

“I triggered because I managed to convince myself I had lost my mind and that reality was disintegrating around me. Before I triggered, I was almost certain that I had gone insane and was one strange thing happening away from committing myself.” Herberta explained. “So I might know a thing or two about feeling broken.” she added. Hannah looked at her feet. The two of them sat in silence for a long moment.

“What was the Asylum like, if you don’t mind me asking.” Herberta asked.

“Not sure. I was in a drugged haze most of the time I was there.” Hannah said tartly. Herberta nodded.

“That sounds sucky.” she said.

“Yeah, you don’t know how shitty you can feel until you hear your daughter ask her dad if Mommy’s a zombie.” Hannah said bitterly. Herberta nodded again.

“I suppose I don’t.” she said. They spent the rest of the trip in silence.

* * *

Arriving at the dock inside Teacher’s base, Herberta saw a squad of PRT troopers checking their weapons. As she disembarked, her phone rang. Seeing it was Lisa, she answered.

“Hey. What’s up?”

_ “I found the source of the vials. It’s not Teacher.”  _ Lisa told her.

“What?” Herberta asked, gesturing for the troopers to pause in their preparations.

_ “And that’s not all. You need to come back NOW. I don’t think we should discuss this over the phone.”  _ Lisa continued. 

“Okay.” Herberta hung up and headed over to the troopers.

“Bad news, guys…”


	68. Monstrosity 10.6

**_Herberta_** Wednesday, August 10, 2011

After explaining to LaSalle that she’d gotten a new lead, Herberta had gotten on the first plane back to Brockton Bay.

Arriving at the PHQ, she headed to the interview room, where Lisa, Hannah and Kayden were standing around Dean. Dean looked nervous, which was unusual for him.

“So what exactly is going on? Lisa said she found the source of the vials.” Herberta asked. Kayden gestured to Dean, who took a deep breath before speaking.

“I got my powers from a vial.” he said. Herberta nodded. She had figured this was why he was there.

“And where did you get this vial?”

“My dad got it. I wasn’t sure where he got from, but after what happened with Madison, I did some digging.” Dean answered. “There weren't a lot of details, but there were references to something called ‘Cauldron’.” He bowed his head, as if he were ashamed.

“Madison had something put in her drink, which made her into a Case 53.” Lisa explained. “Dean, Chris, Lily, the Dallons and Taylor helped get her out of school and over to Faultline.” she paused. “It may have ended with a gas explosion at Winslow, though.” she added, drawing a curious look from Herberta.

“So you got your power from a vial.” Herberta said slowly. “Which your father purchased. I understand why you might not want to tell your teammates, given your background, but why not the PRT?” Dean swallowed.

“Because I think Cauldron has agents inside the PRT, and I don’t think they want me spilling their secrets.” he said. “Can I go now? I don’t really know anything else, and if you guys want to kick me out, you have my contact info.”

“Sure.” Herberta said. Dean got up and exited the interview room. Once he was gone, Herberta sat down in the chair he had previously occupied and put her head in her hands.

“Cauldron created the Case 53’s.” she said.

“How do you know?” Hannah asked.

“Because the tattoo they all have isn’t an inverted omega, it’s a stylized cauldron.” Herberta explained.

“That’s what I figured too, but it doesn’t explain why none of them can remember a thing.” Lisa added. “I mean, when Madison became a Case 53, she still remembered us.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. I’m worried about what Dean said about this ‘Cauldron’ having spies in the PRT.” Herberta mused. “If that’s true, we need to find out who they are.”

“I’m wondering if the ‘Department Omega’ we found is connected. My power says yes, but I’m not sure I have enough correct information to be right.” Lisa thought.

“And that would imply we just stumbled upon a conspiracy stretching all the way up to Director Costa-Brown…” Hannah trailed off. “We’re not that unlucky, are we?”

“Past experience would dictate we are.” Herberta mused. “I mean, look at the Challenger Incident. That happened when Dennis asked us for help on a school project, and look how that ended.” She wouldn’t admit it, but she had enjoyed arresting that homophobic asshole.

“You two know I’m going to look up what happened, right?” Lisa muttered.

“Good luck. Everything about the incident is highly classified.” Herberta told her.

“I’ll just ask Dennis then.”

“Moving on,” Hannah said. “We need to let Piggot know about this, if only so she can run interference.”

“Yeah.” Herberta agreed. “I’ll let her know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Challenger incident is based on a fic I read, The Case of the Disappeared Villain, by stabbyunicorn. it deals with trans themes, and while I don't feel like I'd be able to explore those themes very well in my writing, I did want to acknowledge them. Check it out. I had to change the characters around due to my characterizations of them, but the basics are the same.
> 
> Basically, the hero Challenger framed Lustrum for kidnapping and mutilating(read 'assisting their transition') his trans daughter. While working on a school project about Lustrum, Dean Chris and Rory discover this, and Challenger tries to discredit them. Herbie intervenes and Challenger gets Birdcaged.


	69. Interlude 10.a-Echidna

Emma’s mouths ripped into the pig carcass as she considered her situation. Sure, she was a hideous monster from the waist down, but now she could create an army of servants to take care of all her needs. She’d even managed to create permanent clones of Brian and Sophia for her own  _ private  _ use. Brian had tried to murder his clone when he’d caught them fooling around. Sophia hadn’t reacted at all to seeing her have sex with her clone, which was a little disappointing.

It annoyed her how Sophia was pulling away from her. It was like she didn’t appreciate that Emma had made herself stronger, ensured she would never be weak again. She seemed almost… afraid of Emma. The rest of the Undersiders were no better. Sharon just avoided her and Brian, she was sure, hated her. He’d made sure his sister, their newest member, hadn’t spent any meaningful amount of time around her. 

In the past month, she’d learned quite a bit about her powers. She could create clones of anyone she touched, and the clones did whatever she wanted. With capes, she could change things around with their powers. Her clone of Brian, for instance, had a weaker version of his original darkness, but he could steal the power of a cape that was trapped in it. Her clone of Sophia hadn’t gotten her powers changed, mostly because she hadn’t known she could when she’d made the clone.

Emma had been furious when she’d learned that Madison had turned her in, and as soon as she’d been broken out, had demanded that Madison be punished. She had to learn what happened when she messed with someone stronger, like Emma. Luckily, Coil had agreed with her that Madison needed to be punished. He’d explained that the same serum that had given her powers could mutate people horribly, similar to Case 53’s. Served Madison right, for turning on her for no reason.

Anyhow, Coil was planning to rescue Regent, the one member of the Undersiders she hadn’t met. Sophia had said he was a sociopath, but that he was fun to be around. Hopefully, he’d be less of a dick than Brian.


	70. Infiltration 11.1

**_Herberta_** Saturday, September 10, 2011

“...Happy Birthday to you!” the assembled people sang to Victoria Dallon as she blew out the candles on her birthday cake. Herberta smiled. It was Victoria’s 18th birthday and, so far, the party was going well. While Carol had been invited, she had thus far remained civil, only giving Mark’s date a frosty glare. Said date, an NP at Brockton General he’d met during one of Amy’s healing trips, was a perky brunette named Lori, who was writing a doctoral thesis on how mood imbalances could affect recovery times. All in all, she seemed like a far better match for Mark than Carol, and had cheerfully ignored Carol’s passive-aggressive bitchiness. 

As Crystal used her powers to cut the cake, Herberta glanced around. Taylor, Lisa and Amy were all talking amongst themselves, giggling at something Lisa said. Ashley was here, as well, wearing a long sleeved sweater and a flowing skirt. She and Victoria had met at Brockton University, after discovering they were taking the same Parahuman Studies class. Dean was standing in the corner, chuckling to himself.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, sidling up to him. Dean chuckled and smiled warmly at her.

“I think I figured out why Victoria’s been talking about Ashley so much.” he said.

“Why’s that?” Herberta asked.

“Victoria is definitely attracted to Ashley, even though I’m not sure she knows she’s attracted to her.”

“Hasn’t considered girls?”

“No, she knows she likes girls, unless she’s been lying to me.” Dean mused. Herberta gave him a long look.

“She’s not going to be mad you outed her?” she asked archly.

“She’s out to just about everyone but her family, so as long as you don’t tell them, it’s fine.” Dean said, eliciting a chuckle from Herberta.

“Sounds about right. I know it’s a little harder to come to terms with someone’s bisexuality, are you doing alright?” Herberta asked, a note of concern entering her voice.

“Anyone else, you’d be right to ask. But I’ve already gotten the ‘Bi erasure is an evil, insidious concept that ruins  _ Buffy the Vampire Slayer _ ’ talk from Dennis.” Dean replied.

“Think the conversation might have gotten away from him there.” Herberta remarked with a chuckle.

“Eh, I thought it was okay.” Dean replied. He paused. “Thanks for letting me stay on the team.” he whispered.

“No problem.” Herberta replied. “I’ve always felt that it doesn’t matter how you got your powers, it’s what you do with them. Plus, I’ve met your dad. If living with him didn’t induce a trigger event, nothing could.” Dean smiled thinly.

“Yeah, I’m not looking forward to telling him I want to be a cape therapist, instead of running the company.” he said.

“Again, I see what you’re saying.” Herberta replied. “But seriously, Victoria’s bi? Never would have guessed.”

“Same here. She showed up at my house with bloody knuckles and told me that a girl she now realized she had a crush on had been brutalized by the Empire. Felt horrible that she looked the way she did and felt like a fake when she was with me. Lots of issues to unpack. I ended up comparing her sexuality to a double-edged sword. More versatile and unique for it.” Dean explained.

“Not the worst metaphor I’ve seen, but not the best.” Herberta mused.

“Cut me some slack, I was sixteen.” Dean groused. Herberta chuckled.

“Well, that was some remarkable insight for a sixteen year-old. You’re going to make a great therapist someday.” she told him.

“Thanks.” he said. They were then interrupted by an alert on their phones.

“PHQ is under attack.” Herberta said.

“I’ll gather the troops.”

* * *

Arriving at the PHQ, Herberta headed for the entrance, followed by Taylor, Dean, and Ashley. Ashley looked a little nervous in her new capacity as a hero. She’d decided on the codename Swansong, and was wearing an appropriately swan-themed costume. Her mask was based on the ballerina masks for  _ Swan Lake _ , and she wore a jacket with feathered sleeves that concealed her gauntlets. The outfit was completed with a feather-covered skirt and a pair of furred boots. Lisa had remarked that she looked like the world’s most badass ballerina, which had made Ashley stammer awkwardly and walk away. Herberta could tell that the former villainess wasn’t really comfortable in her own skin, but wasn’t sure how to help. Maybe she’d ask Kristjen or Marty about it. 

As they reached the main entrance, they saw that the doors had been ripped off their hinges. Herberta glanced over at Dean and shrugged, charging up her blasters as she slowly stepped through the doorway.

Entering the lobby, Herberta immediately saw what had destroyed the doors. In the middle of the room was the world’s most disturbing centaur. It was a mass of reddish-brown tissue, with small hands and tentacles extending from all sides. It had four misshapen legs extending from it and had a cow, a pig and an unidentifiable creature’s heads extending from the front. The mass of flesh tapered upwards to the upper body of a red-headed teenage girl who looked vaguely familiar…

“Emma?” Taylor asked, her lense appretures widening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean's description of Victoria's coming out is based on a Tumblr post by brockton-bay. 
> 
> https://brocktonbay.tumblr.com/post/186487869256/also-victoria-is-bi-but-thats-a-conversation


	71. Infiltration 11.2

**_Taylor_** Saturday, September 10, 2011

_ I really do have the worst luck in the whole world,  _ Taylor thought as she realized the horrifying centaur-monster in the lobby was her former best friend.  _ This makes all three of my former bullies developing powers.  _ Herberta looked over at her, a concerned look on her face.

“Evil bitch former best friend Emma?” she asked. Taylor nodded. Herberta sighed.

“Okay.” she said tiredly. “Swansong and Gallant will head to the detention area while Weaver and I will engage the giant monster.” 

Dean nodded and started sprinting across the lobby. About halfway to one of the doors leading deeper into the building, he was engulfed by darkness as a man in motorcycle leathers stepped into view. His face was twisted, his mouth curled into a perpetual snarl. The skin on his face was chalk-white and he had a pair of small horns curving from his temples. He snarled and gestured at Taylor. A blast of blue light slammed into her, knocking her back as a tiredness seeped into her bones. Everything felt hopeless. Whoever the new guy was, he was obviously much too dangerous for anyone to handle. Taylor sank to the ground, feeling like her suit weighed a thousand pounds. Herberta fired a laser blast and blasted the new guy into the wall. The darkness around Dean disappeared and with it, Taylor’s sense of hopelessness. She realized, belatedly, that the new cape had copied Dean’s powers and had used them against her. Dean rushed further into the building, followed by Ashley, as Taylor got to her feet. Activating her wings, she took flight and hovered upwards as Herberta approached Emma.

Before she could do anything, Taylor gasped as pain bloomed in her shoulder. Spinning around, she saw the shadowy figure of a woman whose face looked like a skull. Reaching over, she yanked the crossbow bolt from her shoulder.

“Artificer,” she said, activating her comm, “I just got shot at by Shadow Stalker. I think Emma’s a new member of the Undersiders.”

_ “Roger that, Weaver.”  _ Herberta replied.  _ “Disengage and head down to the detention level. They’re probably there trying to break Regent out.” _

Taylor nodded as she fired a taser dart at Shadow Stalker and deactivated her wings, dropping to the ground in a crouch, then sprinting for the door Dean and Ashley had gone through. Seeing the new Undersider stir, she fired a tranq round at him, causing him to collapse back against the wall.

Reaching the detention level, Taylor saw Ashley and Dean standing across from Shadow Stalker and Mesmer. Which was strange because Taylor had just shot Shadow Stalker with a taser round a minute ago. Mesmer had her pistol pointed at Dean, while Shadow Stalker had her crossbow pointed squarely at Ashley’s chest.

“So it looks like we’ve got ourselves a bit of a Mexican standoff.” Dean remarked dryly as Taylor jogged into view. “Or maybe not.” he amended as Taylor pointed her wrist shooters at Shadow Stalker and Mesmer.

“One question,” Taylor asked Shadow Stalker, “How are you here? I just knocked you out in the lobby.”

“Oh that’s Shar.” Mesmer said nonchalantly as Shadow Stalker growled.

“She’s a clone.” Taylor realized as a cloud of suffocating blackness formed around them.  _ Which makes the power copier I knocked out earlier a clone of Grue. _ Which explained the darkness. Switching to night vision, Taylor saw one of the cells open and someone step out. The darkness receded as Shadow Stalker and Grue led Regent out of the detention area. A thick mist formed and they heard the sound of a silenced pistol firing. Ashley fired off a blast, disintegrating a drone, causing the mist to thin. Taylor switched off her night vision and then dropped down with a yelp as Mesmer opened fire with her pistol. Dean threw a pale lilac blast down the hallway. Taylor rushed forward and fired with her shooters using con-foam rounds to try and trap Mesmer. When she reached the area she thought Mesmer was in, but found nothing. She heard a pained groan and turned to look into the nearby cell. She saw Marissa laying on the floor in a pool of blood.

“Gallant, get a medic, they shot Sundancer!” she shouted. Taylor rushed over, grabbing the sheets off the cell’s bed and kneeling beside Marissa. She pulled up the blonde’s shirt and saw a nasty gunshot wound that was gushing blood. She pressed the sheet to the wound, desperately trying to remember what she’d learned in the first aid course she’d been given upon joining the Wards.

* * *

Taylor sat in an uncomfortable hospital chair outside the operating room. Marissa was still in surgery. She’d changed out of her suit and was wearing a set of PRT sweats, and Lisa was sitting beside her, her head nestled on Taylor’s shoulder.

Herberta had said that Marissa’s odds were good, as Taylor had done a good job stopping the bleeding and had gotten help there fairly soon, but Taylor still felt crappy. Maybe if she’d been faster, Mesmer wouldn’t have been able to shoot Marissa. Beside her, Lisa stirred.

“Hey.” she said, seeing Taylor’s downcast expression. “What’s going on?”

“I feel like a failure.” Taylor admitted. “I feel like I let everyone down today. Maybe if I’d been a little faster, Marissa wouldn’t have gotten shot.” Lisa put one hand on her shoulder.

“You couldn’t have known what would happen. Everyone thought they were just here to bust out Regent. No one expected them to try and kill Mars.” she said, rubbing Taylor’s shoulder as she did.

“I still feel shitty.” Taylor said.

“Of course you do, a good person got shot and is fighting for their life.” Lisa remarked.

“All we can do is wait.”


	72. Interlude 11.a-Alec

_ Over three months and they still haven’t changed the decor,  _ Alec thought as he looked around Coil’s base. He’d just been “rescued” from PRT custody, and he knew Coil would want to know if he’d said anything. As he waited for his erstwhile boss to arrive, he began to reminisce about his time spent in captivity.

* * *

_ “...So, yeah, I don’t really feel much of anything anymore.” he explained to Mars as they played Mario Kart. Since Mars was a former pro gamer, she was winning. _

_ “That sounds really lonely.” Mars said, her pity evident. _

_ “It’s not all bad. I can sit through the scariest horror movies and not bat an eye.” he replied. _

_ “I suppose. But don’t you wonder what you’re missing?” Mars asked. _

_ “All the fucking time. But I try not to let it get me down. Everybody hates a whiny sociopath.” he remarked. He was kidding a bit, but he really did wonder, was he missing something important by not being able to feel most emotions?  _

_ “But enough about my problems. I’m gonna beat you eventually.” he said, changing the subject. _

_ “Dream on.” _

* * *

Coil entered the room, jostling Alec from his memories. Coil sat down at the end of the conference room table.

“Did you tell the PRT anything about my operation?” the supervillain asked.

“Nope.” Alec lied, grateful that he had no sense of guilt.

“Good.” Coil remarked, getting up to leave. Alec frowned. He’d expected Coil to not believe him and torture him to make sure he was telling the truth. Not that it would have worked. Fear was another emotion Alec couldn’t feel, and a childhood spent as Heartbreaker’s son had inured him to most conventional forms of torture. But he wondered why Coil had taken him at his word.

As he exited the meeting room, he headed over to the residential units. As he made his way through the base, he drifted back into memories of his time in custody.

* * *

_ “So, I have some good news.” Amy said, removing her hand from Alec’s wrist. “I can definitely undo your inability to feel most emotions.” _

_ “That’s… great.” Alec replied lukewarmly. Amy gave him a stern look. _

_ “Why do you seem less than pleased about this?” she asked, “The last time we talked about it, you were all for it.” _

_ “I’m just a little worried about what could happen. What if I hate myself once I can empathize with people?” Alec said. “I mean, I am not a good person. Or at least I haven’t been.” _

_ “So you don’t want me to change anything?” Amy asked. _

_ “Can I think about it? I want to be absolutely sure before I permanently alter my brain.” He explained. Amy nodded. _

_ “Completely reasonable.” she said. _

* * *

After playing video games with Dinah for a few hours, Alec headed to his apartment. Laying in his bed, he took a deep breath and began using his power.

He woke Dinah up and had her grab a pen and paper.

_ Don’t freak out, it’s Alec,  _ he wrote using her arm,  _ I know you want to get out of here. I can sense your movements. Nod for yes, shake for no. Do you want to leave?  _ He released her body and felt her nod.

_ Okay. I know how to get out of here and I can have your body walk out of the base. Where should I have you go once you’re free?  _ He wrote, then used his power to see through her eyes.

She’d written  _ PRT.  _

_ Alright. Is there anything you want to take with you when you leave?  _ She shook her head.  _ Okay, this is going to feel a little weird, but I promise I’ll get you to the PRT. _ As he took full control and began sneaking out, he let himself sink into one last memory…

* * *

_ “I made my decision.” Alec told Amy. Amy nodded. _

_ “So what’s it gonna be?” she asked. _

_ “I want you to make me able to empathize with people, but that’s it. Don’t make me able to feel guilt or anything else.” Alec told her. _

_ “Okay. But why just empathy?” she asked. _

_ “I figure it’s easier to make a change in increments, and I definitely want to empathize with people. If I can handle that, maybe I’ll ask if you can let me feel other stuff.” he explained. _

_ “Makes sense.” Amy said. “Now just hold out your hand…” _

* * *

Once Dinah was standing outside the PRT headquarters, Alec released his control. He’d had her write a note explaining what was going on, so that the PRT could help her. Having finished that, he snuggled into the covers and drifted off to sleep.

His last thought was that he would never understand people who said empathy was a bad thing.


	73. Infiltration 11.3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning for discussion of drug addiction.

**_Herberta_** Monday, September 11, 2011

Herberta was shaken from her dreamless sleep by the alert chime of her work phone. Groaning, she reached over and picked up.

“Baker here, what is it?” she asked sleepily.

_ “Dinah Alcott is asking for you.”  _ came the voice of the night shift security chief, Jenson.

“Jen, this isn’t funny, it’s annoying. You woke me up. Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to actually fall asleep?” she began before Jenson interrupted her.

_ “I’m putting her on, I don’t have to take this.”  _ he said. A moment later, a young girl’s voice came over the phone.  _ “Hi, Agent Baker.”  _ Herberta sat straight up in bed.

“Is it really you?” she asked hopefully.

_ “Yes. I am at the PRT and there is a 90.278% chance I will begin experiencing withdrawal symptoms within one hour. Please hurry, Security Chief Jenson is not qualified to deal with withdrawal symptoms.”  _ Dinah replied.

“I will be on my way.” Herberta said as she got out of bed, gesturing for Dani to go back to sleep.

* * *

“Herbie, why did you ask me to come here at three in the morning?” Rory asked as they entered the PHQ. He was still in his pajamas and was wearing the Armsmaster bathrobe he’d gotten as a gag gift last Christmas. As the pair entered the lobby, Herberta caught sight of Dinah fidgeting as she sat in one of the chairs in the waiting area.

“Because your cousin just showed up here and I figured she could use a familiar face.” she explained as Rory saw Dinah. Herberta waited as Rory stood in slack-jawed confusion before turning back to look at her.

“How did this happen?” he asked.

“Hell if I know, I just got a call that she was here.” Herberta replied. “ All I know is that she showed up at the front desk, and they called me.” Rory walked over to Dinah and knelt in front of her.

“Dinah, do you remember me?” he asked nervously.

“Of course I remember you, Cousin Rory.” she said simply. She gave a startled yelp as Rory enveloped her in a hug.

“It’s nice to know you’re glad I’m here, but the odds I’ll be going into withdrawal are increasing.” she said anxiously. Rory paused and disentangled himself from Dinah and stood up, giving her an accusing look.

“Would you care to explain what she’s talking about, Herbie?” he asked tersely.

“Well…”

* * *

“I MEAN WHAT THE FUCK!” Rory shouted. Herberta cringed. 

“I told her parents about it. I figured they’d tell you!” she replied, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

“And it didn’t occur to you that they might not want to talk about the possibility of their twelve year-old daughter being an addict?” Rory asked angrily. Herberta sighed.

“I’m sorry, Rory.” she said. “I should have told you.” Rory’s expression softened.

“It’s fine. I’m probably a little stressed.” he admitted. Herberta nodded.

“Right. Now Dinah’s getting looked over. First thing we should do is call her parents.” she said as Rory pulled out his cell.

“I’ll call them.” he said, dialing a number.

* * *

After Rory called his uncle and informed him that his daughter had been found, Herberta headed to the medical center to see how Dinah was doing. Arriving outside Dinah’s room, she knocked on the door.

“Come in.” came the voice of Terry Hummel, the department’s medical head. Herberta entered and saw Dinah laying on the bed, shivering and groaning. Herberta sighed.

“How bad?” she asked sadly.

“It’s bad. She probably won’t be able to use certain painkillers again.” Terry said sadly. She was an older woman with dark hair and square glasses and wore a lab coat over a set of flannel pajamas.

“Great, something else for her parents to get pissed at me about.” Herberta groused as she sat down in the chair normally reserved for the doctor.

“They aren’t going to get pissed at you. You did everything you could to find her, and she’s here.” Terry said, patting Herberta on the shoulder.

“No thanks to me.” Herberta complained. Terry sighed and muttered something under her breath that sounded like “fucking heroes and their fucking hero complexes”. Hoping to change the subject, Herberta asked, “How’s Sundancer doing?”

“She’s stable.” Terry answered. “She’ll have to use a colostomy bag while her colon heals up, but that’s it.” Herberta smiled slightly. 

“That’s good.” she said to herself. Her phone buzzed, prompting her to glance at it.

“Dinah’s parents are here.” she said as she got up to leave.

* * *

Returning to the lobby, Herberta saw Henry and Meredith Alcott standing there. Henry was a tall, broad-shouldered man with salt-and-pepper hair, while Meredith was more petite, with shoulder-length brown bangs.

“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Alcott.” Herberta said, shaking Henry’s hand. “I have some good news and some bad news.”

“I assume the good news is that you found our daughter.” Henry remarked. Herberta nodded. “So what’s the bad news?” he asked.

“Remember what I told you about Coil’s methods for controlling Thinkers?” Herberta began. “I’m sorry to say that your daughter has a severe opioid addiction.” she finished regretfully. “I’m really sorry and I know it’s going to be a long road ahead…” she trailed off as Henry pulled her into a hug.

“I don’t understand.” she said once Henry had released her. 

“She’s alive. Everything else is secondary.” he said. “Besides, we can afford rehab.” Herberta shrugged.

“Now the part of the conversation I am required to have. I think Dinah should join the Wards. Coil is still out there and the PRT is going to help with her recovery, so it would make sense to have her join.” she said. Henry nodded.

“I agree. How about we come in at a more reasonable hour to discuss the terms?” he said.

“Sounds fine to me. How about one o’clock?” Herberta suggested.

“We’ll be there. Can we see her before we go? I assume she’s being checked out.” Henry asked.

“Yeah. She’s not in the best shape right now, though.” Herberta admitted.

“I just want to see my daughter after wondering what happened to her for three months.” Henry said. Herberta nodded.

“Okay.” she said, heading for the exit.


	74. Infiltration 11.4

**_Herberta_** Monday, September 11, 2011

After returning home, Herberta slept in ‘till about ten. After getting dressed and eating breakfast, she drove back to the PHQ. Arriving at the medical wing, she was greeted by Terry.

“How’s Dinah?” Herberta asked.

“Her blood work came back and we have an idea of what was used. We have a treatment plan drawn up and ready to implement as soon as the parents say yes.” Terry replied swiftly. “I have the details in my office if you want to take a look.”

“No need. How’s Sundancer doing?”

“Pitching a fit about her colostomy bag, but otherwise okay.” Terry answered. “I’m guessing that’s all for now.” Herberta nodded and Terry headed back into the medical wing as Herberta headed to her office. She had paperwork to do.

* * *

At one o’clock, Herberta was in a moderately well-apportioned conference room, nibbling at a chocolate muffin. One of the support staff was an excellent baker and made sure the conference rooms were always stocked with various baked treats. She heard a knock at the door.

“Come in.” she said as Hannah ushered Henry and Meredith Alcott into the room, then sat down beside Herberta.

“Okay, now that all of us have gotten some sleep, why don’t we discuss what the PRT is willing to do for Dinah, as well as whether she will be joining the Wards and in what capacity.” Herberta began. “Obviously, the PRT is fully willing to provide recovery treatment for Dinah. That goes without saying.” Henry nodded.

“I did tell you we could afford rehab.” he said. 

“I’m sure you could, but this is a gesture by the PRT apologizing for letting your daughter be held captive for so long.” Herberta explained. “We’ve actually known who was holding her captive for some time, but due to certain circumstances, couldn’t move against them. Dinah’s arrival here was the work of a third party whose behavior in this situation is frankly baffling.”

“Why couldn’t you take action against them?” Henry asked, his expression not angry, but curious.

“Dinah was kidnapped by the supervillain Coil, whose identity is Thomas Calvert, the CEO and founder of Azorius Security, who, as you know, is currently in charge of security for almost all detention centers for the city, as well as being contracted to investigate Coil’s organization.” Herberta explained.

“Seems like a bit of a conflict of interest.” Henry remarked. “I’m guessing my brother-in-law has not yet been made aware of this?” he asked.

“Correct. I doubt the Mayor is willingly colluding with Coil…” Herberta began, before being interrupted by Meredith.

“He fucking better not.” she muttered. “If he is, I’ll kick his ass.” Henry put a calming hand on his wife’s arm, gesturing for Herberta to continue.

“We don’t think he’s aware, or if he is, that Coil is exerting some sort of leverage over him.” she finished.

“Probably Rory’s identity.” Meredith mused. “Calvert used to be deputy director at the PRT, if I recall, and would certainly have known. He could use it to imply the PRT serves the interests of the upper-class, rather than the interests of the city as a whole.” When Herberta raised an eyebrow, Merdith smiled.

“I was the campaign manager for my older brother’s first mayoral campaign. It’s how I would have played it.” she said matter-of-factly. 

“That was our read on the situation as well, Mrs. Alcott. In any case, due to the possibility of Mayoral interference in any action we took against Calvert, we were focusing our efforts on an investigation into potential financial malfeasance or issues with personnel, something that could give Mayor Christner a way to drop Azorius without exposing his knowledge of their connection to Coil.” Herberta told them. Henry nodded.

“What changed?” he asked.

“A prisoner here, who worked for one of the villain groups Coil employed, and who had legitimate grievances against Coil was broken out of custody yesterday. Apparently, he obtained an opportunity to assist Dinah in escaping and took it.” Herberta answered.

“Well, it seems we owe this man a debt.” Henry mused. Herberta ignored that, preferring not to think about what Regent might do with a favor from the Mayor’s family.

“In any case, we’ve now managed to nullify this piece of leverage Coil could use against the Mayor. We plan to brief him on the situation later today.” she continued. Merdith nodded.

“Now that the only backlash from all this coming out is that he looks like a fool for hiring them.” she mused. “And he could defuse that by claiming they used Dinah to force him to hire them.” She stared intently at Herberta. “But you aren’t going for an immediate public disclosure and arrests, are you?” she guessed. “Why not?”

“Because he has at least two parahumans with explosives in their heads and a potential S-Class threat at his base. And we don’t have a location for his base.” Meredith nodded.

“And the most dangerous enemy is one with nothing to lose.” she said. “You want to get a hold of the S-Class threat, at least, before you take action. And Azorius losing their contract might tip him off about what you’re doing.” She smiled approvingly. “You’re very good at this, Agent Baker. So, obviously, this is the sort of information that could put a target on our back. I assume you have measures in place to protect us, should Coil suspect we know something.”

“Yes.” Herberta answered. “I enlisted a police detective, Larry Lance, who I trust, to assist in the investigation into Azorius’ finances.” she explained.

“Because the police showing interest in the finances of a security contractor they work with wouldn’t seem as suspicious.” Merdith finished. “And if Coil felt threatened, he’d focus on the police.”

“Yes.” Herberta confirmed. “Anyway, Detective Lance will be attending the briefing later today. My plan is that he will be promoted and moved to working as head of your security detail, which will give Coil the impression that the Mayor is on his side if he’s taken notice of Lance’s investigation. Officially any case or interest the police department has in Azorius will be closed.”

“But Lance will continue to investigate Azorius while serving on our detail.” Meredith concluded.

“He will also ensure your detail hasn’t been compromised and deal with any attempts by Coil to infiltrate your detail.” Herberta added.

“I do hope he gets paid overtime for all this work he’s doing.” Meredith said. “What about Dinah? We kept the kidnapping quiet, as per PRT instructions. There’s no reason to increase security on her that we can give without it seeming suspicious.” Herberta nodded.

“Agreed, which is why we aren’t going to provide her with conventional security.” Herberta gestured to Hannah, who got up and headed to the door on the other side of the conference room. Opening the door, she led in a petite dark-blonde girl with intense hazel eyes. She was wearing a teal and green bodysuit with a skirt and a chest plate, and was holding a green helmet with a visor under one arm.

“Meet your daughter’s new covert bodyguard, Missy Biron.” Herberta said as Missy waved to the Alcotts. “Better known as Vista.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting a chapter on my birthday!


	75. Infiltration 11.5

**_Herberta_** Monday, September 11, 2011

Meredith raised an eyebrow as she gave Missy a once-over.

“And how will Miss Biron serve as a bodyguard to my daughter? She doesn’t seem suited for going toe-to-toe with hardened mercenaries.” she remarked, which drew a scowl from Missy. Hannah put a hand on the young girl's shoulder before she could say anything.

“She may not look like much, but Vista has been a member of the Wards for over two years. She’s taken on some of the most dangerous capes in the city. I can assure you that she can handle some mercenaries.” Vista gave a thumbs-up, which Herberta figured was meant to be encouraging, but just ended up seeming weird. 

“Fair enough.” Meredith said. “How will you explain her presence near Dinah?”

“As it happens, Missy goes to Arcadia Middle School, just like your daughter, and is in the same grade. We’ve simply moved a couple of Missy’s classes around so she has the same class schedule as Dinah.” Herberta explained. “Any other appearances of Missy beside Dinah can be explained as them being friends from school.” Meredith nodded.

“I presume Miss Biron has been trained to use her powers covertly, so as to not draw suspicions to her identity?” she asked.

“I can be sneaky.” Missy interjected. “I know this is important. I won’t mess up, ma’am.” Hannah got up and led Missy out of the conference room. 

“Now, there’s the matter of whether Dinah will join the Wards.” Herberta said after Hannah returned. Meredith and Henry nodded.

“I believe the Wards would be the best way to keep her safe, but I don’t feel comfortable sending my daughter into the parahuman war zone that is Brockton Bay.” Meredith remarked dryly. Henry nodded in agreement.

“Well, in all honesty, right now, the gang situation isn’t that bad. The ABB is capeless and falling apart. The Empire has gone to ground, reportedly until Krieg can get Gesellschaft reinforcements, but thanks to some high-level informants, that likely won’t happen for some time.” Herberta began. “So really, the biggest threat is Coil and his affiliates, and they’re gunning for Dinah regardless.” 

“Secondly, per Youth Guard rules, Wards can opt out of being deployed in combat situations. It’s just that, in Brockton Bay, no one has. If you don’t want Dinah to go out on the street, she doesn’t have to go. In fact, she’d probably be more useful in a non-combat situation.” Herberta said.

“I see.” Meredith said, after a moment. “Knowing that, I think Dinah joining the Wards would be an excellent idea, unless Henry has any objections.” She glanced over at her husband, who shook his head. Herberta smiled.

“All right, I’ll have someone bring up the paperwork. Hannah should be back soon and she can help you with any questions you have.” Herberta said, standing up. “I have a briefing to prepare for.”

* * *

A couple hours later, Herberta strode up the steps of city hall, accompanied by Lance, who struggled to keep up.

“Lance, how are you not in shape?” she asked. “I thought detectives usually had to chase people as part of the job.” Lance paused to catch his breath, flipping her off as he wheezed.

“I work smarter, not harder.” he said.

They made their way to the waiting room outside the mayor’s office. As Lance sat down to catch his breath, Herberta looked through her bag to make sure she had everything. Hearing the door to the mayor’s office open, she glanced up to see Thomas Calvert exiting the office. He was wearing slacks and a sport coat over an open-collar shirt, and was smiling smugly.

“Oh, hi Herberta!” he said cheerfully, “Fancy seeing you here!” Herberta scowled.

“Hello, Thomas.” she said coolly. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I heard that the mayor’s niece was found last night. I was letting the mayor know I’d be happy to provide some extra security if he wanted it.” Calvert replied, smiling like a cat that ate the canary. Herberta’s scowl deepened.

“Whatever, Calvert.” she said with a sigh as she pushed past him, heading into the Mayor's office. Sitting down on one of the couches, she waited until Lance entered and sat down in an armchair.

“Calvert has left the building.” he confirmed, just as mayor Roy Christner entered the room. He was an older man, in his late fifties, and was balding, but his hazel eyes were focused and intelligent.

“Special Agent Baker, Detective Lance, to what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked, his voice a mellow baritone.

“I’ll explain in a moment.” Herberta said, pulling out a small device that she set on an end table. After a moment, it began to hum.

“Okay, let’s begin. Mayor Christner, we’ve identified the true identity of the supervillain Coil.” she explained. The mayor nodded.

“Alright then,” he said, “So who is it?”

“That’s where it gets a little tricky, sir.” Lance told him. “It would seem that Thomas Calvert is Coil, and that Azorius Security is a front for his organization.” Christner visibly deflated as he realized the implications.

“So you’re telling me I hired a supervillain to investigate himself?” he asked glumly.

“To be fair, there’s not really any way you could have known. The PRT didn’t figure it out until recently, and Calvert worked for us.” Herberta pointed out.

“I don’t think the voters will see it that way.” Christner responded. “I’m guessing the reason I’m only hearing about this now is because you weren’t sure if I was part of it.”

“The thought did cross our mind, yes, but actually, it was because we wanted to make sure he didn’t have any leverage on you.” Herberta said.

“What leverage would he have on me?” Christner asked.

“Coil kidnapped your niece Dinah.” Herberta explained. Christner’s jaw dropped.

“You’re sure?” he asked. Herberta nodded. “Why?”

“Turns out Dinah is probably the most powerful precog in the world. Plus, she’d work as a bargaining chip to get himself out of jail if he got caught.” Herberta answered.

“So what do we do now?” Christner asked. “I assume I can’t just have him arrested.” 

“Not really, no.” Herberta agreed. “His power basically gives him a mulligan on any choice he makes, and the PRT has yet to develop a way to counter that.”

“Then why let me know? If Calvert finds out, I’m probably going to suffer some sort of fatal accident.” Christner mused.

“In this case it’s because there’s some things you can do. First, I’d like to suggest putting Lance here in charge of your sister’s security detail. As he’s been asking around Azorius for the past couple months, it’ll make Calvert think you’re willing to protect him. It’ll also give Lance an opportunity to ensure Dinah is kept safe.” Herberta began. Christner nodded.

“Good thinking,” he said.

“Secondly, I think Calvert might be planning something to unseat you in the next election. Whether it’s through a proxy or him running against you personally, I’m not sure, but I suspect that him or someone he controls becoming mayor is a step in his plan.”

“What makes you think that?” Christner asked.

“It’s the most obvious and stereotypical thing someone who thinks they’re an evil genius would do when trying to take over the city.” Herberta answered. “Thomas is a lot of things, but he’s not very original. This whole thing smacks of Palpatine’s plan in the  _ Star Wars  _ prequels, and he isn’t doing it half as well as the movies.” Christner tilted his head in confusion.

“How so?”

“Well, we have confirmation that both the Undersiders and the Travelers are both being backed by him. And I’d be willing to bet good money that he was behind the reveal of the E88 cape’s identities.” Herberta explained. “And notice the fact that he has Azorius taking down most of the other criminal organizations in the city, except for Coil’s group.”

“Meaning that eventually, the only gangs left will be ones Coil controls.” Christner reasoned. “So he can then control everything, except for the PRT.” he pointed out. “But why would he leave his job there? He would have better luck supplanting Director Piggot and being the puppet master from there instead of as the head of a private security company.”

“True, but I’ve worked with him and Piggot knows him from back in the day. Thomas is the type who thinks anything the government can do, the private sector can do better and make a boatload of money at the same time. Plus, all it would take to bring him down is one PRT employee who he can’t control reporting him. The PRT doesn’t fuck around when it comes to whistle-blowers. With a private company, he can hire people who are loyal to him.” Herberta answered.

“So, how is he going to deal with the PRT?” Christner wondered.

“As Mayor he would have the authority to effectively force out the PRT if he wanted to.” Herberta observed. “Especially if there were a hero team that was doing better against the gangs already present.”

“You think he’s building a corporate team.” Christner said.

“Carol Dallon just took on a couple of parahuman cases recently, and Azorius has filed amicus briefs on all of them.” Herberta offered.

“You think he’s going to use her to recruit them.”

“Yeah. It’s a risky venture, due to Carol’s unpleasant personality, but it’s likely he could get enough to put together a decent team. Plus, Mesmer’s on his payroll, so he could theoretically create some fake heroes to round out the ranks.” Christner stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“So he seems to have thought of everything.” he said.

“Except for how to deal with the PRT knowing what he’s planning.” Herberta replied. “Now that we have an idea of his goals, we can counter them.”

“I assume my reassignment of Detective Lance is the first step in your plan to do so?” Christner asked.

“Yes, but more importantly it’s to protect Dinah.” Herberta replied. Christner nodded.

“Understood. I’m guessing that I will not be privy to a great deal of your plan?” he guessed.

“Sorry.” Herbert said. “Operational security. Plus, if Calvert’s convinced you don’t know anything, he might let something slip.”

“I’ll keep an ear out.” Christner said warmly. “Is there anything else?”

“Well, Dinah is joining the Wards, and will be accompanied by Vista in school.” Herberta told him.

“A covert bodyguard. Do you think that’s a little much?” he asked.

“Better safe than sorry.” she said, as she picked up the device she’d placed on the end table. “I’ll leave you with Detective Lance to discuss the details of his new assignment.” With that, she got up and walked out of the mayor’s office.


	76. Interlude 11.b-Vista

Missy sat beside Dinah in the classroom, listening to the teacher drone on about US history. Something about why the Pilgrims came to America. Taylor had given her a book about how social studies textbooks were full of inaccuracies, so she felt justified in tuning out the teacher, scanning the classroom for threats to Dinah.

She liked Taylor, mainly because Taylor didn’t act like she was some kid who didn’t know what she was doing. It also helped that she wasn’t a giant bitch like Sophia.

She was shaken from her thoughts by movement in the corner of her eyes, which just turned out to be a classmate getting up to use the pencil sharpener. Missy relaxed a little. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down, lest Dinah end up in danger, but she could be a little calmer about it. After all, it wouldn’t look good if she kept Dinah safe, but gave her a serious case of anxiety. Herberta wouldn’t like it, and she’d give Missy that ‘I’m very disappointed in you’ look that made Missy furious. Herberta wasn’t her mom, so why was she trying to replace her?

Missy was shaken from her thoughts by the ringing of the lunch bell. As she and Dinah stood and grabbed their lunchboxes, Missy put a hand on Dina’s shoulder, making sure she wasn’t separated from the other cape. Arriving at the school cafeteria, they sat in their usual spot at a table in one of the corners, making it impossible for anyone to ambush them. It let Missy see all the way around the room, and also kept too many people from pestering them. Neither of the two girls were particularly popular, but stuff happened. Dinah had gotten some attention for her disappearance last semester and her late start this year, but everyone had bought the story that she was visiting a sick family member.

Armsmaster had returned from his recovery a couple days ago, which had led to some awkwardness regarding Ashley. Apparently, a massive argument was what you got when you stuck two equally arrogant people in the same room. Piggy had kept Herberta in charge until “Armsmaster got his head out of his ass”, which Missy wagered would likely never happen. Dean had said he’d heard that Ashley apologized, but couldn’t confirm. Missy doubted either of them had apologized. Ashley was too proud. Her hero persona, Swansong, had been deemed an ‘ice queen’ on PHO, and it had taken a lot to keep Ashley from going off on them. They were currently looking for someone who could manage her account. 

As she ate, Missy listened half-heartedly to Dinah talk about how excited she was to join the Wards as she scanned the lunchroom for threats. In order to prepare for this assignment, she’d read a couple of books about being a bodyguard and military training. She’d learned about having situational awareness and how to scan a crowd without being obvious about it. This was her chance to prove to everyone that she wasn’t some little kid who needed to be coddled.

As they headed back to class, Missy noticed what looked like three school security officers following her and Dinah. Covertly, she stretched the floor in front of them, creating pockets of extended space that would keep them from reaching her and Dinah. She silently thanked Herberta for helping her find new uses for her powers. Her head aching from the exertion, she squeezed Dinah’s shoulder.

“Hey, Dinah? Can you run ahead and tell Miss Estavez I’m going to be a little late because I have to talk to someone about my extracurriculars?” she asked, using the codeword her teachers had been given for anything involving her Wards duties. Dinah nodded and hurried off. Missy ambled forward and ducked into an intersection to hide. Once the hallways were empty, she released the pockets of warped space, which allowed the fake security guards to rush forward. As they reached the intersection, Missy stepped out in front of them, blocking the hallway.

“Can I see a hall pass?” she asked sweetly. Sure, she hated playing up the cutesy girl image, but it would keep them off-balance and give her time to prepare. She created warped tunnels from the guns she could see under their shoulders to just over the shoes of another fake guard. If they tried to shoot her, it would end badly for them.

“Get out of the way, kid. We’re looking for a student.” one of them said gruffly, stepping forward. Missy felt her hair sticking to her sweaty neck and forehead. Using her powers this precisely was hard, but she pushed through it. Stealthily, she reached into her pocket and pressed the button on her Wards phone to activate her distress beacon. She wasn’t in distress, but it would bring backup, who would help her deal with whoever these guys were. She figured they were here for either Dinah or her, and they’d told her to get lost when they saw her, so she was guessing Dinah. That meant they likely worked for Coil.

“Who are you looking for?” she asked. If they worked for Coil, they’d have Tinkertech guns. The doors to all the classrooms had been reinforced to be basically bulletproof, but a Tinkertech gun would tear through it. If she couldn’t stop them, her best bet was to get rid of their ammo. Which meant goading them into shooting at her.

“You know, I don’t think you guys are real security guards.” she said in a cutesy voice. “I’m gonna call the police.” She made a show off pulling out her phone. Before she could even pretend to dial, all three guards drew their weapons, a silenced pistol, and pointed them at her.

“I’ll scream.” she said evenly, dropping the cutesy act. She pressed a button on the dial pad.

_ Thwip!  _ The mercenary to her left cried out as a bullet from the middle guard tore through his foot. Missy used the moment of shocked surprise to warp a tunnel from the other two’s guns to a point behind her shoulder. If they fired, it would look like they missed. The one on the right opened fire as Missy ducked. The bullets whizzed past, punching through some lockers. Missy made a tunnel to a space behind them, kicking off her shoes as she stepped through, so she could slide on the linoleum floors. She’d learned to use her powers to steer her, which had been really fun. 

“Hey assholes!” she shouted as she took off running, then slid down the hallway. The mercenaries turned and opened fire. She pulled around the tunnels she’d made to make the bullets whiz by her, barely missing. As she reached another intersection, she created a curve that turned her left, sliding down another hallway. As she slowed, she lessened the distance so that by the time she skidded to a stop, she was at the end of the hallway. As the mercenaries rounded the corner and rushed towards her, Missy decreased the distance between the sets of lockers on both sides of the hallway. 

  
_ Clang!  _ The mercenaries ran right into the now super-deep lockers and fell to the ground unconscious. Missy walked over and pried the guns out of their hands and disassembled them. She then sat down and waited for the PRT to get there.


	77. Unearthed 12.1

**_Herberta_** Monday, September 18, 2011

Herberta sat at her desk, reading Lance's report on his investigation into Azorius. The mayor had authorized a committee, headed by his chief-of-staff, to ensure Azorius’ reputation was impeccable. He’d somehow managed to convince Calvert to provide a trove of records, something that still amazed Herberta.

_ Well, he did manage to become the mayor, and you don’t get there without learning how to wheel and deal,  _ she thought. Looking over the report, she continued to read.

According to Fastow, the chief-of-staff, there were some worrying trends in the employment histories of Calvert’s mercenaries. Specifically, most of them had been kicked out of other private security groups for various offenses, the most common of which was excessive use of force. Which was bad, but not something they could justify cutting them loose for, given some incidents involving the BBPD. However, their finances were clean, scrupulously so. Fastow, who apparently had some distant relative convicted of financial irregularities, was suspicious and was going to do some digging into the data before he gave a final opinion. Other than that, there wasn’t anything they could use to justify canceling Calvert’s contract without admitting they thought he was a villain. 

Herberta sighed as she spun around in her chair. She hadn’t thought that this would be easy, but she’d really hoped that Calvert had missed something. She wanted to scream. It sucked that she couldn’t just find a way to kill Calvert, instead of dealing with all this bureaucratic bullshit. 

She’d never regretted joining the Protectorate, and later, the PRT, but there were days when she was acutely aware of the reasons capes didn’t join. Sighing loudly, she turned her attention to the reports she needed to review.

* * *

A couple hours later, she headed to the PHQ cafeteria to get lunch. She saw Ashley sitting at a table, string at an empty tray. Herberta grabbed a burger and headed over. Sitting down across from the white-haired cape, she offered her the burger.

“You really should eat.” she said gently. Ashley sighed.

“I know, I know. It’s just… I hate feeling like I’m broken. Like my powers are broken.” she said.

“And every time you disintegrate your lunch, you feel that way.” Herberta surmised. She thought for a moment.

“Would it be better,” she asked, “If you had somewhere you could eat, where, if you accidentally disintegrated your food, no one would see?”

“That would help.” Ashley replied.

“I think there’s an old office no one uses anymore. I’ll see if I can get it coated with something to resist your powers. You could eat your lunch in there if that helped.” Herberta offered. Ashley smiled thinly.

“You’d really do that?” she asked.

“Sure. It’s actually soundproofed because Rory had the same problem with his shouts when he first triggered. If you told people what was going on…” Herberta began, before Ashley interrupted her.

“They’d pity me.” she said, disgusted. “And I hate it when people pity me.”

“I was going to say that they’d understand. Rory was touchy about it too. No one here is going to think you’re weak or broken. Most of them will offer to replace your food if you disintegrate it, though.” Herberta told her. “I know Piggot probably gave you the impression most people here don’t like capes, but a lot of the people here don’t really have an issue with capes, so long as you refrain from disintegrating their stuff on purpose.” Ashley smiled at that.

“That’s… gratifying to know.” she said. At that moment, Herberta’s phone began to ring.

“And speak of the devil.” she said, glancing at the caller ID. “What’s up, Rory?” she asked, answering the phone.

_ “I’m with Erik, and we found something you might want to take a look at.”  _ Rory replied.

“What is it?” Herberta asked.

_ “A phantom Endbringer shelter.”  _ Rory answered.

“Phantom how?”

_ “It doesn’t show up in the city shelter network, but the city didn’t pay for it either.” _

“So someone just built a full Endbringer shelter for shits and giggles?” Herberta wondered.

_ “Or, the shelter was a cover story for what they were actually building.”  _ Rory offered.

“Like a secret base for a mysterious supervillain we’ve been looking for.” Herberta guessed. “I’ll meet you there. Mind if I bring Ashley?” she asked.

_ “Not at all. See you there.”  _ Rory replied before hanging up. Herberta turned to Ashley.

“Wanna go solve a mystery?” she asked.

* * *

It took them about half an hour to get to the site, and another ten to find somewhere to park that was both out of sight and unlikely to end with the car being stolen. They headed over to the address Rory had sent them. Herberta had her suit on under a long coat while Ashley simply wore her gauntlets. They were met outside a dilapidated apartment building by Rory and Fastow. 

“Alright, you’re here.” Rory said, cutting straight to business. “The shelter appears to be under the apartment building. The building was condemned by the city a little over two years ago, which is when our Thinkers believe Coil arrived in Brockton Bay. The noise complaints were spread over a period beginning about a year and a half ago and ended around three months later. We tried tracing the buyer of the property but it seems to be a series of shell corporations whose boards consist of dead men or aliases.”

“Good call.” Herberta remarked grudgingly. “No chance of your dupe accidentally incriminating you if they’re six feet under.”

“Yeah, but what really caught my attention was that most of them were names listed as being killed during the Nilbog mission.” Fastow added.

“That’s probably because Calvert is one of the two survivors of that mission. The other is Director Piggot.” Herberta remarked. The Nilbog mission had been shortly after she had joined the Protectorate. She hadn’t participated, but she had visited Piggot and Calvert in the aftermath. When she’d first transferred to Brockton Bay, she couldn’t believe that the soldier she’d visited in the hospital and the smug asshole she’d seen in the brig were her coworkers and nominal superiors. “He likely chose them because they’re some of the few people he knew for certain were dead.” Fastow nodded.

“Makes sense.” he said. “So how are we going to do this? We can’t just go up to the front door and pretend to be Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Herbie nodded in agreement.

“Partly because none of us actually looks like we could be a Jehovah’s Witness, but you’re right. We can’t just knock on the door. We’ll have to find a different way in. Rory, you wouldn’t happen to have access to the blueprints of a typical Endbringer shelter, would you?” she asked.

“I don’t, but Erik does.” Rory replied. Fastow nodded in confirmation.

“The schematics are available to anyone who submits a FOIA request. So long as you aren’t on some sort of watchlist or involved in certain crimes, the city usually just gives them to people.” the chief-of-staff explained. He pulled out his phone. “I have them on my phone because I’ve been reviewing the upgrades.” He handed the phone over to Herberta, who looked over the schematics.

“Coil’s base likely has a different layout than a typical Endbringer shelter, so this isn’t usable as a map, but in all likelihood, it’ll have a few essential systems in common.” Herberta said.

“Like the location of the generators.” Rory guessed.

“Knowing Coil, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a reactor instead.” Herberta remarked. “But yes, the generator room is probably one of the few locations that wouldn’t be changed.” 

“And where would that be located?” Ashley asked.

“Lowest level, about 70 feet down.” Herberta said, consulting the schematics. “Which, if we dig our own tunnel diagonally from a block away, with a tunnel height of about seven feet and a width of two feet, means we have to clear a little over 4722 cubic feet of earth.” she calculated. She noticed everyone staring at her.

“I have an engineering degree, you know.” she said, giving Rory an annoyed look. Rory shrugged.

“Regardless of how we figured it out, how are we going to move close to 5000 cubic feet of earth without drawing attention?” he asked. Ashley cleared her throat, causing everyone to turn and look at her.

“I could do it.”


	78. Unearthed 12.2

**_Herberta_** Monday, September 18, 2011

“It could work.” Herberta said, after considering the idea for a moment. “We’d have to find a way to hide the noise your power makes, though.” Ashley nodded.

“But it’s not a bad idea, right?” she asked, a note of desperation slipping into her voice. Herberta realized Ashley was afraid that she or Rory would shoot her idea down. She smiled warmly at the younger woman.

“It’s not a bad idea, but it needs some fine tuning.” she said, seeing Ashley smile at the statement. “Anyhow, we should get out of here. There’s nothing more we can do today, and we don’t want to tip off Coil that we know where his base is.”

* * *

  
Arriving back at the PHQ, Herberta headed back to her office to do some paperwork. A few minutes in, she heard a knock at her door. 

“Come in.” she said. Rory opened the door and stepped inside.

“Hey.” he said, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of her desk. “I wanted to talk to you about Ashley. Did you get a desperate vibe from her back there?” he asked, frowning.

“Yeah. I’m not surprised you picked up on it. Reminded me of you when you first joined the Wards.” Herberta remarked. Rory cringed.

“But I was doing it because I was a spoiled jackass who couldn’t stand getting benched. She’s a bipolar abuse survivor who has low self-esteem.” Rory replied. “The potential for self-destructive behavior here is worse. Especially given her powers.”

“You’re worried she might sneak off and try to tunnel into the base without us?” Herberta asked. Rory shook his head.

“No, I’m worried she’s going to go overboard trying to prove herself to us. You’ve seen her PR reports.” he said. Herberta sighed.

While Ashley had become more personable towards her fellow Protectorate members, in public she seemed to revert to a heroic version of the personality she’d displayed as Damsel of Distress. Public perception of her was that she was arrogant and self-absorbed, tending to react poorly to perceived criticism by members of the public. They’d scaled back her non-patrol appearances, but that hadn’t stopped the continual posts on PHO that she was “a stuck-up bitch”, among other things (Herberta hadn’t said anything to the other capes, but she’d seen Ashley up late one night, looking through the posts. She definitely didn’t mention that she’d later heard Ashley crying). Piggot hadn’t seemed worried when Herberta had told her, but the older woman had dealt with Colin’s social ineptitude for years, so perhaps she knew something Herberta didn’t.

“So people think she’s arrogant. Who cares?” she replied. “Besides, people think Armsmaster’s arrogant, and they love him.”

“Colin’s a guy.” Rory retorted. “There’s a different standard. You of all people should know that.”

“I’m well aware of sexist double standards regarding how women assert themselves, Rory. I did want to be an engineer before I triggered.” Herberta shot back.

She had even wanted to be one after she triggered, she thought. Her final year of college, she had wrangled an internship at an IndyCar team back home. She’d returned with her degree, certain she’d be able to move past her trigger and fulfill her dream.

It had gone wrong almost immediately. She had expected that she’d be responsible for getting food and drinks, as she was the new girl. What she hadn’t expected was that, in spite of the internship being for an engineer, she had ended up mostly answering phones and doing paperwork. The few times she’d managed to actually do real engineering work, she’d been derided and condescended to by assholes who thought that because she had long hair and liked to wear pink, that she wasn’t really an engineer. She’d been miserable that summer, and she’d taken it out on her parents when they asked what was wrong. At the end of the summer, she had packed all her worldly possessions into boxes and moved to Boston. The day after she moved into her apartment, she’d gone down to the PRT building and joined the Protectorate.

“So what’s your point, Rory? Yeah, it sucks that people are sexist assholes to Ashley, but nothing we can do is going to change that.” she said, a little more harshly than she intended. 

“Just… Keep an eye on her, please? She’s a good person, and I’d hate if something bad happened to her.” Rory answered slowly.

“Why don’t you do it?” Herberta asked.

“Because she seems to actually like you.” Rory replied.

“She doesn’t like you guys?” Herberta asked, confused. “I thought she was being nice.”

“Yeah, she’s nice to us, but I wouldn’t say she’s all that close to anyone on the team. Certainly not close enough that someone asking her if she’s alright emotionally wouldn’t be majorly overstepping their bounds.” Rory admitted.

“So you want me to do it.” Herberta guessed.

“Or see if you can find someone who can. She’s kind of an ice queen, but no one on the team wants her to have a breakdown.” Rory replied. “We’re just not sure if we’re the people to help her.” Herberta nodded.

“I’ll see what I can do.” she said as Rory got up to leave.

“Thanks.” he said as he exited the office.

**_Amy_ **

Amy was eating dinner at the PRT cafeteria when Dean sat down across from her. She smiled.

“How’s Vicky?” she asked.

“Good. She and Ashley are studying for a test tonight, so I’ve been banned from coming over to avoid ‘distractions’.” he replied.

“And you don’t feel threatened by Ashley?” she asked. Anyone with eyes could see that her sister was clearly attracted to the former villain, except, apparently, Vicky herself. Amy had surprised herself by not immediately hating the woman, which, in all honesty, she would have done six months earlier.  _ Maybe I’m finally starting to move on from her,  _ she thought.

“Well, Ashley hasn’t expressed any interest in Vicky, so I think it might be a bit early to start playing the part of the ‘jealous boyfriend’.” Dean shot back. “Any news on Tammy?” he asked in a lower voice, his tone somber.

“She still hasn’t come out of the coma. They’re going to transfer her to a long-term care facility next week.” Amy said sadly. Tammy’s parents hadn’t blamed her for letting their daughter wind up in a coma, but Amy knew that she’d fucked up. What kind of idiot forgets they have healing powers when someone’s bleeding out in front of them?

“Hey.” Dean interjected. “Don’t think like that. You did what you could. You can’t change the past, and beating yourself up about it doesn’t do anything.” Amy sighed. He was right, but it didn’t make her like any less of a failure. 

“Tell you what, why don’t we go see a movie or something? Get you out of your head for a little bit?” he suggested.

“Sounds good.” she replied.


	79. Interlude 12.a-Ashley/Victoria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for discussion of a hate crime, emotional issues and Ashley's low self-worth.

**_Ashley_ **

She’d been so stupid, begging Herberta and Triumph to let her help. She hadn’t been this pathetic when she was Damsel, had she?

_ It’s not pathetic to offer to help. I might have been a little insistent, but I wasn’t desperate,  _ Ashley told herself as she walked up to Victoria’s house. She’d met the blonde in her Parahumans 101 class she was auditing as part of her training. When she’d first arrived in the classroom, she’d been overwhelmed by what she’d felt were the judgmental stares of other people. Victoria had seen her and gestured for to sit beside her and had helped her with her notes. She’d given Ashley her phone number “in case you need any help with something”. When Ashley had been stumped by her first homework assignment, she had reluctantly called the blonde for help, expecting to be told how stupid she was. Instead, the blond had cheerfully assisted her, without a single put-down of Ashley’s intelligence. When she got an ‘A’ on the assignment, Ashley had asked Victoria if they could study together, to make sure she passed.

It turned out that the poster girl for New Wave had a lot in common with Ashley. The both were distinctly glamorous, as evidenced by their wardrobes. They were also both misunderstood, Victoria for her blonde bombshell image, Ashley for her aloof demeanor. Ashley had found that she enjoyed the younger woman’s company. 

Arriving at the front door, she knocked twice. A moment later, the door opened and Victoria answered.

“Hey, Ash. Ready to get to work?” she asked, her smile radiant. Ashley felt a warm fuzziness expand through her chest. She smiled back.

“Sure.” she said. Sure? What sort of response is that? She’s going to think you’re a moron.  _ Vicky doesn’t care if I’m awkward, she likes me for me,  _ Ashley reminded herself. She followed Victoria inside, ready to get to work.

**_Victoria_ **

As the night wore on, Victoria began to worry about Ashley. She was being more withdrawn than usual and she was definitely bothered about something. Maybe it had something to do with the phone call from Herberta about Ashley’s issues. 

“Hey Ash?” she asked. She’d have to finesse this if she wanted to avoid setting her off. “Is everything okay at work?” Ashley looked up, her expression not unlike a deer caught in the headlights.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” she asked, her nervousness evident in her expression.

“You seem a little tense.” Victoria said. It was something vague enough to not suggest that she’d been told about any issues Ashley had. She let her aura wash out over Ashley. It didn’t always work, but people sometimes opened up to her when she had her aura out. Ashley smiled thinly at her, indicating exactly what kind of effect her aura was having on the older girl.

_ If I weren’t already with Dean… _ she thought,  _ I wouldn’t have said no if she had asked.  _ Ashley sighed and looked at the floor, her expression downcast.

“I am a little… perturbed.” she said, her voice slipping into a regal tone, which elicited a blush from the platinum blonde. “I’ve been browsing PHO to see what people think of me, and it turns out a lot of it is…” she paused looking for the right words to describe what she’d read.

“Creepy and misogynistic?” Victoria suggested. Ashley frowned. 

“I would say more hateful than creepy, but yes.” she said. Victoria nodded.

“When I debuted as Glory Girl, I had to deal with a lot of pervs online. I found that it’s best not read about yourself.” she offered.

“I know. My therapist keeps saying I don’t need other people’s opinions to validate me.” Ashley replied glumly. A moment later, she grimaced. “I shouldn’t have said that.” she said.

“Hey, it’s okay to admit you’re going to therapy. I’ve been to therapy.” Victoria said reassuringly, reaching over and taking Ashley’s hand. Ashley flinched at the touch, but before Victoria could let go, she squeezed the blonde’s hand tightly.

“Why were you in therapy? You have the perfect life.” Ashley asked.

“Sure, it looks that way to most people, but honestly? I wasn’t in a good situation as a teenager. My dad was so depressed he could barely get out of bed, my mom was a raging bitch to my sister for no reason at all, and I was in the closet for most of it.” Victoria responded.

“You’re bisexual?” Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow. Victoria groaned.

“Damnit, why is that always what everybody focuses on? Yes, I’m bisexual. It’s really not a big deal.” she complained. Ashley smiled nervously.

“I wasn’t trying to be creepy. I’m bi too.” she said, letting out a deep breath. “You’re probably the first person I’ve actually said that to.” she admitted, blushing slightly. “But we’re getting off-topic. Why were you in therapy?” she asked. Victoria saw she was trying to change the subject to avoid further discussion and obliged.

“After I triggered, I was really angry, at the world and at all the things I couldn’t fix. I’m not proud of it, but I sometimes was a little reckless in how I used my powers against criminals. I nearly killed a couple people, if it hadn’t been for my sister. About a year and a half after I got my powers, when my sister had just started her hospital visits, she came home pissed. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that she had just healed a girl from our class who I’d had a crush on after the girl had nearly been beaten to death by some E88 members. She said that it reminded her of those criminals I’d hurt, and said I should think long and hard about what exactly makes me different from them. It hurt, especially because I was really insecure about how I looked in that regard. I left her alone, but I took out my anger on my bathroom mirror. I cut my hands really badly. Not wanting to piss Amy off any more, I went to Dean, who I’d just started dating. I told him everything.” Victoria explained.

“What did he say?” Ashley asked.

“He said that it was okay that I was bi, that I was like a double-edged sword, it made me better and more versatile. He then said that I should probably talk to someone about what I was feeling. I told him that my mom would never let me go to therapy and he offered to sneak me in to see the Ward’s therapist if I wanted to.” Victoria answered. “I took him up on it. And it turned out, talking to someone about why I felt so angry all the time, it helped. I had an easier time using my powers safely and I only had to call Amy one time since then, and that was an accident.”

“So, you really don’t think I’m broken because I go to therapy?” Ashley asked.

“Of course not!” Victoria reassured her, rubbing Ashley’s wrist with her thumb. “It’s okay to go to therapy, and it’s okay to be private about being in therapy.” Ashley smiled.

“Thanks, that helped a lot.” she said, letting go of Victoria’s hand and getting to her feet. “It’s getting late, I should head home.” she said, glancing at the clock. She gathered up her notes and textbook, slipping them into her bag. Victoria followed her to the front door.

“Thanks for the help… with everything.” Ashley said, as she stood in front of the door. For a moment, they stood there, looking at each other with a strange tension in the air. Before either of them could break the silence, the door opened and Amy came in.

“Hey guys!” she said cheerfully as she squeezed past them. “Dean’s outside if you want a ride home, Ashley.”

**_Ashley_ **

Ashley sighed as she headed out the door. She waved to Dean, who was driving some sort of expensive sedan. He reached over and opened the passenger-side door. Once she was buckled up, he drove off. When they reached her apartment building, Dean turned off the engine.

“I suppose we should talk about the elephant in the room.” he said hesitantly. Ashley tensed.

“I know you’re attracted to Vicky.” Before Ashley could say anything, he held up a hand. “I’m an empath, remember? And I’m not mad, okay. It’s fine. I, of all people, get it.”

“But you’re going to tell me to stay the hell away from her.” Ashley said glumly.

“No, I was going to say you’re welcome to ask her out, and say that you’ll have much better luck If you try while she and I are broken up.” Dean said cheerfully.

“But you’re not going to tell me when you’re broken up, are you?” Ashley guessed. Dean shook his head.

“Sorry, but no. I’m okay with giving you a little advice to avoid you accidentally shooting yourself in the foot, but giving you a heads-up on when you’re open to try and date her feels a little like self-sabotage.” he said.

“That’s fair.” Ashley admitted. She held out her hand. “May the best man win, so to speak.” Dean shook it.

“Should I walk you to your apartment, or is that too much?” he asked.


	80. Unearthed 12.3

**_Herberta_** Tuesday, September 19, 2011

Standing in line at a Dunkin Donuts, Herberta frowned as she checked her watch.  _ I’m going to be late,  _ she thought. She had developed a taste for the chain’s coffee back in Boston, and had been incredibly thankful that Brockton Bay also had a decent number of locations when she’d moved here. Deciding that she’d just have to make do with break room coffee, she turned and headed for the exit. As she pulled open the door, she saw a familiar face outside. She walked over to the auburn-haired young man in a greyish hoodie and waved. He looked up, recognition dawning as he smiled awkwardly.

“Richard, right?” she asked, hoping she’d gotten the name right.

“Y-yeah, it’s Richard.” the Tinker stammered, his hands twitching. “I honestly forgot that you were posted here, Artificer. Or is it Herbie? What’s the etiquette for heroes who’ve unmasked?”

“Generally, when I’m out of costume, Herbie is fine. What are you doing here? I thought you guys were doing well in Silicon Valley after Belson got hit with that Watchdog investigation.” she asked.

“It’s a long story, but we’re actually moving Pied Piper here. We closed on an office space yesterday, and Jared, the guys and I are house-hunting.” Richard answered bashfully.

“Sounds interesting. Listen, I need to get to work, but would you want to get lunch sometime? I’d love to talk, Tinker-to-Tinker, and I’m fairly certain the PRT would have an interest in your serverless Internet, if only for internal use.” Herberta asked.

“Uh, sure. Sounds great.” Richard responded. “I’ll have Jared call you and let you know when I’m free.” He waved awkwardly at Herberta and headed towards the door to the coffeeshop.

* * *

Entering the PHQ, Herbie headed for the Protectorate break room. Hopefully, someone would have already made coffee and she wouldn’t have to wait. Entering the room, she saw the second person she hadn’t thought she would see today.

“Colin!” she shouted, rushing over to give her fellow Tinker a hug. Colin awkwardly hugged her back. Separating, she moved over to the coffeemaker to pour herself a cup. “You’ll never guess who I ran into this morning.” she told Colin as she took a sip.

“Who?” the other Tinker asked.

“Remember the Tinker’s Dragon and I went to see to lock out Saint and the Dragonslayers? I ran into one of them. Their company is actually moving to Brockton Bay.” Herberta told him.

“Huh. Any idea why?”

“I didn’t ask, but I think it might have something to do with Gavin Belson.” Herberta mused. “Any idea how the Watchdog case against him is going?” she asked.

“Not really, but I don’t usually follow those things.” Colin admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

“Huh, I might have to check in on that.” Herberta said to herself as she left the break room and headed for her office.

* * *

Sitting down at her desk, Herberta started up her computer and logged into the PRT’s internal records database. A quick search later, she was looking at the records of Watchdog’s investigation into Hooli’s behavior. As far as they could tell, if Gavin Belson had any parahuman abilities, there was no evidence other than her testimony that he’d ever used it in business deals. The case had been put on the backburner and surveillance had been ordered, to see if they could catch him using his powers. There was a note saying that when he’d been questioned, Belson had been accompanied by a lawyer frequently associated with the Elite, suggesting possible ties to the organization. In any case, afterwards, Belson had resigned as CEO, taking an advisory role on the board for his replacement, a woman named Lily Reynolds. A simple Hooli search revealed that Reynolds, age 23, had been the head of a very successful investment firm for three years. It also revealed that both her father and stepfather had died, her stepfather being murdered by her childhood friend in some sort of psychotic breakdown. Reynolds had been cleared of any involvement, despite her contentious relationship with her stepfather.

_ Interesting,  _ Herberta thought,  _ it looks like Belson joined the Elite, and they’re shielding him from Watchdog. I’d be willing to bet Reynolds is a patsy for them, if not a member.  _ Closing the window, she began to work on her paperwork, interrupted only by a call from Richard’s assistant telling her he was free for lunch at one. She told him to have Richard meet her at a mid-price Japanese place she knew.

* * *

Arriving at the restaurant early, Herberta obtained a booth in the corner and ordered a basic spread for the two of them. Around one o’clock, Richard arrived and sat down across from her in the booth. Picking up a pair of chopsticks, he expertly picked up a California roll and took a bite and swallowed.

“How’s the house-hunting going?” Herberta asked. Richard stared at her, as if he didn’t understand what she meant before it registered.

“Oh, right. Y-yeah, it’s going great. We’re down to our final three, and according to Jared, he might be able to cut a quarter off the asking price, which is great, because we could use the money.” he answered.

“Jared’s a real estate agent?” Herberta asked. “I thought he was an executive assistant.”

“Jared’s a bunch of things.” Richard replied. “Anyway, what did you want to talk about?”

“First off, I wanted to let you know the PRT would definitely be interested in your serverless Internet design, or even something similar, for us to use as an internal system, particularly if you could use it to store internal records. Hackers who are trying to get a hold of records have been a continual issue of ours.” Herbie told him. Richard’s expression brightened, happy to talk about a subject he was comfortable with.

“Well, I definitely think our product could be used for data storage. We’d have to reconfigure our design to build an internal network and you’d have to replace all your devices with ones that had some specialty hardware. Gilfoyle is trying to fit the necessary stuff in a modified SIM card, but he’s having a rough time of it. And then we’d have to work on a supplier and figure out how to account for the fact that anything that uses Tinkertech is going to be finicky.” he explained.

“We do happen to have a Tinker specializing in miniaturization on our team, as well as the fact that you did Dragon a favor. Between the two of them, you guys could probably fix most of those problems.” Herberta offered. Richard nodded.

“Th-that would be great.” he stammered. “A-anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something else.” He shifted nervously in his seat.

“The guys and I are thinking of forming a team.”


	81. Unearthed 12.4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the short chapter.

**_Herberta_** Tuesday, September 19, 2011

“What?” Herberta asked, unsure if she had heard correctly.  _ None of these guys are in any way prepared for a cape fight.  _ Richard seemed to notice her confusion.

“Not a team that fights other capes or stops bank robberies.” he clarified. “We’d be dealing with hackers and cybercriminals, helping victims of identity theft and stuff.”

“Oh.” Herberta said, relaxing. “That sounds great. Why do you want to talk to me about it?”

“We could use some help with applying to be an affiliate team. Jared can’t make heads or tails of the forms and asked me to ask you and see if you could help.” Richard said. “He also said to ask if any team we formed would run into trouble with Watchdog.” Herberta nodded.

“Yeah, I can give Jared some help with the forms. As for Watchdog, I’m guessing he’s wondering if there’s a potential issue with the fact that the team’s sponsor offers a product related to the medium they intend to work through. As long as you don’t give preferential treatment to people who buy your product or make help conditional on buying it, you shouldn’t have any trouble. I would recommend getting an actual lawyer for legal counsel, to help navigate any difficult situations, but given what I know of you guys, you should be fine.” she told him. Richard visibly relaxed.

“Oh, thank god.” he said, relieved. “I was worried it was going to be super-complicated.”

“Speaking of Watchdog, have you heard any news on Gavin Belson?” Herberta asked. Richard shook his head.

“Just that he resigned as CEO, was replaced by that Reynolds woman.” he said. “Why, is something going on? Because Reynolds dropped the patent suit.” Herberta leaned in close and dropped her voice to a whisper.

“Listen, you didn’t hear this from me, but there’s a good chance Reynolds is a patsy for the Elite, and that Belson is a member now. I wouldn’t say you need to worry, but be careful.” she told Richard, who nodded.

“G-got it.” he stammered. “I’ll let you know if anything suspicious happens.” Straightening up, he pulled out his phone. “Oh shit, I need to hurry. The guys and I are meeting back up to continue house-hunting in half an hour.” 

Herberta stood up. “I have to get back to work. Don’t worry about the check, I already paid. You can take anything you want to-go.” she said before heading for the exit.


	82. Unearthed 12.5

**_Herberta_** Wednesday, September 20, 2011

_ “Surprising news in the tech sector today as Hooli CEO Lily Reynolds announced the construction of a new campus in Brockton Bay…” _

“What the fuck?” Herberta shouted as she sat up in bed. Dani groaned and put her pillow over her head.

“How are you this loud, this early in the morning?” she said grumpily. “Not all of us are Noctis capes.” Herberta sighed and flushed with embarrassment.

“Sorry.” she said, laying back down. Dani wrapped her arms around her waist.

“It’s okay. Now that I’m up, what’s got you all worked up?” she asked.

“There’s evidence that Hooli got turned into a front for the Elite, which means that the Elite are trying to establish a presence here.”

“And groups like the Elite tend to create an increased workload for PICIS departments in their area.” Dani replied. “I’ve done my research.”

“It’s also that, if the Elite is behind this, they’re going to be gunning for me.” Herberta admitted.

“Why?”

“Because I’m fairly certain Gavin Belson is a member of the Elite, and he has a reason to hold a grudge against me.” Herberta explained. “Probably because I got him caught up in a Watchdog investigation and forced him to step down as CEO.” Dani chuckled.

“So, should I start checking my car for explosives, or would that be overreacting?” she asked teasingly. Herberta sighed. 

“I don’t think so, but if you want to, it wouldn’t hurt.” she said. Dani chuckled.

“You don’t need to worry about Taylor and I. Both of us can take care of ourselves.” Herberta nodded. A moment later, she swore.

“What’s wrong?” Dani asked.

“I just realized that I’ll probably have to go to a bunch of galas and deal with him now. Fuck!” Herberta said. Dani smiled.

“I’m going back to sleep.” she said before turning over.

* * *

Herberta tried to go back to sleep, but after about half an hour, she gave up and decided to get ready. Arriving at the PHQ, she headed into the lobby, digging through her purse for her keycard. Finding it, she looked up and saw Richard, Gilfoyle and Dinesh standing in the waiting area, accompanied by the tall, thin man she’d seen with Monica back in California, whose name she couldn’t remember. Richard waved awkwardly at her.

“H-hey Herberta.” he stammered. “We came as soon as we heard.” Gilfoyle nodded.

“Please tell us there’s something we can do about this asshole. I thought the thing with Watchdog was supposed to get him off our case.” he said accusingly. Herberta sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

“It’s complicated. Technically, Watchdog accomplished what it was supposed to do, which was to force him out of his leadership position. It’s just that no one anticipated the Elite getting involved.” she admitted. Gilfoyle shrugged. “I’m going to see if I can find out anything, and I’ll let you know.” Herberta assured them as she moved past the reception area and entered the area of the building not open to the public. She headed over to her office and pulled up all the files she could find on the various front companies the Elite used.

* * *

“So it turns out, that while Thoroughbred Investments isn’t a front for the Elite, it did invest with many of them, which I think might be how they recruited Reynolds.” Herberta explained. 

“So how does that help us?” Gifoyle asked. 

“It doesn’t,” Herberta replied, “But it will help future PICIS investigations of the Elite.” Gilfoyle frowned.

“So we have to suck it up until the PRT can get more information.” he said.

“Pretty much.” Herberta admitted. “Sorry.” she told the assembled Tinkers apologetically. 

“It’s fine.” Richard said. “We just have to get to market before they do.” The others nodded. “It was nice seeing you.” Richard told Herberta as they filed out of the conference room.

* * *

As Herberta continued with her work, she was interrupted by an email alert. Clicking on it, she saw it was an invitation to a party hosted by Hooli, celebrating their iminent move to Brockton Bay.  _ Looks like Belson wants to gloat,  _ she thought. 

Later that night, dressed up and with Dani at her side, Herberta entered the ballroom where the party was being hosted. Looking around, she saw the Stansfields mingling with guests, the Alcotts and the Christners talking with a couple of businessmen and various members of the city’s elite spread out amongst the Hooli executives.

“Every union-leader bone in my body hates this.” Dani muttered. Herberta smiled. Dani’s distaste for the upper class of Brockton had been something they’d bonded over, as both their jobs included dealing with them, and had left them both with a rather dim view of the Brockton elite. Herberta noticed David Stansfield catch her eye and groaned internally. Now she would have to avoid him. She was shaken from her thoughts by the approach of Gavin Belson, accompanied by a brown-haired twentysomething in a yellow elegant dress with a plunging neckline.  _ Twenty year-old me would definitely have tried to hit on her,  _ she thought with a chuckle.

“Artificer!” Gavin called as he approached, “So glad you could make it!” He held out his hand to Dani. “And this must be Dani.” he remarked, “Lovely to meet you.” Dani shook his hand, her expression that of someone forced to give a very slimy octopus a handshake.

“I’d like to introduce you to Lily Reynolds, my replacement.” Gavin continued, gesturing to his companion. Herberta straightened her glasses, using the motion to covertly activate the analysis system built in. Text began to scroll across the lense.

_ Below-average BMI, along with an affluent background indicates a recent eating disorder. Lower resting heart rate and lack of affect indicate minor psychopathic traits. Reacts as if to auditory stimuli at incongruous points. Reactions corelate to use of cellular phones and other electronics. Parahuman, with sensory powers related to the broader electromagnetic spectrum. _

Herberta smiled as she gave Reynolds a firm handshake. “It’s nice to meet you.” she said. Reynolds shrugged.

“Likewise.” she replied tersely, then went off to go mingle with some other guests. As Dani went to use the restroom, Herberta was left alone with Gavin.

“I have to congratulate you, Gavin.” Herberta began, “I’m impressed with how quickly you signed on to be a lackey for the Elite.” Gavin scowled. Clearly she’d hit a sore spot.

“I’m hardly a lackey, Artificer.” he retorted.

“Then why is Reynolds in charge?” Herberta asked mockingly, “I know she’s a member.”

“Reynolds answers to me.” Gavin shot back. Herberta smiled internally.  _ Giving away your organizational structure to your enemies,  _ she thought,  _ not a smart move, Gavin. _

“Still, what’s your endgame?” she wondered aloud, “You dropped the patent suit on Pied Piper, so you couldn’t possibly be making a play on their Internet idea. So how come you’re following them to Brockton Bay?” she asked.

“Don’t count us out of the running just yet.” Gavin replied, clearly pleased at how enigmatic he sounded.

_ Found design different enough to avoid patent infringement. _ Herberta heard someone stammering and turned to see Richard, Gilfoyle and the others coming over. All of them were wearing suits, which looked strange, as Herberta had previously only seen them in casual clothing. “Hi guys!” She greeted them cheerfully. Richard smiled.

“H-hi Herberta.” Richard stammered. He frowned as he faced Gavin. “What are you doing here, Gavin?” he asked, “I thought you were just an advisor.” Gavin turned red and scowled.

“Now listen here, you…” Gavin was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Everyone turned to see Accord standing nearby.

“Do go on, Gavin.” the Thinker said mockingly. Gavin’s scowl deepened, but after a moment, he sighed and relented. Reynolds returned and, seeing Accord, stiffened. 

“What brings you here, Accord?” she asked, her tone imperious. Accord smiled, his mask copying the expression.

“I just wanted to inform the major factions of the city that the Ambassadors are coming to Brockton Bay.” he said. 

“Why?” Richard asked.

“I’ve done all I can in Boston.” Accord replied. He nodded at Reynolds and Herberta. “I'll be seeing you.” he told them before heading for the exit. As everyone watched him go, one of the Pied Piper guys, the Pakistani one who Herberta thought was an ass, spoke up.

“Where the fuck does he get off, saying we aren’t a major faction?”

“Shut up, Dinesh.” Gilfoyle told him.


	83. Interlude 12.b-Lily Reynolds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for choking kink.

Arriving at the floor of hotel rooms Hooli had reserved for the executives supervising the new campus, Lily slammed Gavin against the wall.

“What the hell were you thinking, inviting Artificer,” she asked, her voice deadly soft, “Just so you could gloat?” Gavin glared at her.

“If I recall, you answer to me.” he said through gritted teeth. Lily removed her hand from the billionaire’s shoulder. “That’s better.” he said, a hint of condescension in his voice.  _ Don’t let him get to you,  _ Lily reminded herself.

“That might change if the others hear about how your recklessness alerted PICIS to our presence, when they previously only suspected our involvement.” she said darkly.

“It’s your word against mine.” he shot back.  _ And that’s the problem,  _ Lily thought to herself. Ever since she’d joined the Elite, she had struggled against the heavily ingrained sexism of the group. She had been a member far longer than Gavin, but she was his subordinate here. Not to mention, they’d take his version of events at face value, while scrutinizing her version for any inconsistencies.

“You know what your biggest problem is, Belson?” she asked, “Your ego. You can’t just win, you have to rub your victory in everybody else’s face. And it’s going to be the end of you someday.” she said as she strode down the hallway to her room. “As it is, we’re going to have to keep our operations subtle, thanks to your little stunt.” she added when she reached the door to her room.

The moment she closed the door, she was shoved against a wall by a figure in a black bodysuit and a blank, expressionless mask. A hand closed around her throat, firm enough that she had trouble breathing, but leaving her able to speak.

“Hello to you too, Amanda.” she said, her voice hoarse. The figure removed the mask, revealing curly light brown hair, freckles and emotionless brown eyes.

“Did you miss me?” Amanda asked her, her tone deadpan.

“A lot more than you did.” Lily replied, her head spinning from the lack of oxygen. Amanda ran a finger down the neckline of Lily’s dress.

“No bra.” she remarked, sounding almost impressed. Lily began to feel the tell-tale feeling of her emotions deadening, the hallmark effect of Amanda’s power. As she began to feel less, Amanda’s eyes began to soften. “I miss you now.” she said, her voice softer and warmer. Lily smiled. 

“I know.” she assured the other woman, “And I know what I’m getting into with you.” Amanda nodded, easing the pressure on Lily’s neck slightly. She tilted her head toward the bedroom, a questioning expression on her face. Lily nodded.

“Sounds great.” she said as she and Amanda moved toward the bedroom, Amanda’s hand still clutching Lily’s neck.

* * *

Lily was awakened by a chime from her phone. Checking to make sure Amanda was still asleep, she grabbed the phone and slipped out of bed, pulling on a robe as she headed into the main space of the hotel room. She selected the new message.

**_Unknown Number:_ ** _ Eliminate targets “Faultline” and Herberta Baker “Artificer”. _

  
Lily chuckled softly. It looks like Gavin might get his wish after all.  _ The things I’ve done for that vial,  _ she thought.


	84. Expansion 13.1

**_Taylor_** Saturday, September 22, 2011

“Taylor?” Herbie asked as they sat in front of the TV, eating take out. They were watching some of the movies Herbie had watched with her dad, as sort of a family bonding experience. Tonight it was  _ Casablanca.  _

“Yeah?” Taylor responded.

“You were interested in computer programming, right?” Herbie asked. Taylor nodded. She had come across Herbie trying to debug the software for her glasses, and Taylor had asked about how the code was designed. They’d spent a couple of hours talking about coding afterwards, and Taylor was glad she had something other than cape stuff in common with Herbie.

“Some guys I know who work in tech told me that they were looking for a part-time assistant. Said they were having trouble finding someone who could code.” Herbie explained, “Should I tell them you’re interested?” she asked. 

“Sure.” Taylor replied. It would be a great way to make some money, as well as get some experience for a non-cape job.

“Great,” Herbie replied, “I’ll let them know.

* * *

Monday afternoon, Herbie drove her downtown to a small, two-story building that looked like a loft. As they pulled up, Taylor anxiously adjusted the collar of her button-down. 

“You’ve got this.” Herbie assured her. Taylor smiled weakly. “I’ll walk you inside.” As they entered the building, they were met by a large man with mutton chops and a goatee, a choice Taylor would not have gone with, had she been able to grow facial hair.

“Hello, Monica’s ex!” he greeted them loudly. “You didn’t tell me your girlfriend was a model.” Herbie sighed.

“This is my girlfriend’s sixteen year-old daughter, Erlich.” she said to the man, who paled slightly.

“Never mind, then.” he said hastily. “Richard and Jared are upstairs. Good luck, kid.” he said, clapping Taylor on the shoulder. A moment later, he sniffed the air and swore. “GODDAMNIT! JIAN-YANG!” he shouted as he stalked off the way he’d come. Taylor turned and gave Herbie a questioning look, wondering if the older woman had any clue what had happened. Herbie shrugged. 

* * *

Exiting the elevator, Taylor saw four men sitting amidst what could only be described as a forest of servers. One of them, a tall, brown-haired man with thin lips, waved her over. Once she’d navigated the servers, she saw that they were sitting around a large table. The tall man, who was wearing a nametag that identified him as “Jared” gestured for her to sit. Taylor took a moment to look at her tablemates. Sitting beside Jared was a pale man with curly hazel hair, whose body language clearly indicated he was very uncomfortable, who was named Richard, according to his nametag. On the other side of Jared was a Middle-Eastern man in a polo shirt, whose name tag read “Dinesh”. At the far end of the table sat a man with long hair and a modest beard, who was dressed in black and wore several rings on his fingers. His name tag read “Gilfoyle”.

“Hello, Taylor,” Jared began, “Herberta has told us so many good things about you. Did you bring everything?” he asked. Taylor nodded. “Great!” Jared said excitedly. “Now before we do start paperwork, I figured we should explain what you’ll be doing here.” He gestured around the table. “You will serve as a general assistant to everyone here, grabbing lunch, getting coffee, that sort of thing. Basically, whatever we need you to do.” he explained.

“So why was knowing how to code important?” Taylor asked, confused.

“Because part of ‘what we need you to do’ may involve coding,” Gilfoyle answered dryly. “Speaking of which, what sort of skill level are you at?” he asked.

“About what you’d expect from someone who’s taken two years of mediocre high school computer science classes,” Taylor shot back, earning a slightly impressed expression from Gilfoyle, “But I’m a quick learner.” she added. Gilfoyle nodded. 

“I’ll get her up to snuff.” he told the others. Jared smiled, clasping his hands together.

“Excellent,” he said, “Now, Taylor, let’s go work on your start paperwork, and I’ll explain your benefits.”

* * *

“Who’s Jian-Yang, and why is Erlich pissed off at him?” Taylor asked Gilfoyle. Gilfoyle shrugged.

“Jian-Yang is one of Erlich’s incubee’s.” he explained.

“What’s an incubee?” Taylor asked, slightly worried it was a stupid question. Gilfoyle noticed her confusion and chuckled.

“I keep forgetting you don’t know any of the Silicon Valley terms we all use,” he said, “See, because the housing prices there are so high, it’s hard for aspiring programers to live there, even if they have a regular job. Erlich had the idea of giving those aspiring programmers free lodging, in exchange for a stake in their idea. I doubt he’s the only one doing this, but he’s the best example.”

“So how does Jian-Yang fit in?” Taylor wondered, “What’s his idea?”

“He doesn’t have one, at least not one that’s any good,” Gilfoyle explained, “He’s just taking advantage of California eviction law to stay there. Erlich is using him as an assistant in the meantime.”

“He’s not a very good assistant.” Taylor remarked. “He’s kinda lazy and is always smoking.” Gilfoyle nodded.

“That’s because he hates Erlich.” he explained. “I find it pretty funny, mainly because Erlich is a blowhard.” Taylor giggled.

“It is  _ kinda  _ funny to watch him get distracted by Jian-Yang burning trash.” she admitted. Gilfoyle smiled.

“Almost as funny as fucking with Dinesh.” he said. Taylor didn’t respond to that.

“Why are you working here?” she asked, “You despise Erlich and Dinesh, and you don’t seem to like Jared or Richard either. You could easily get a job somewhere else, why are you still here?”

“Because of Richard’s idea,” Gilfoyle answered, after a moment, “Richard wants to build an Internet that is accessible to everyone, where people can exchange ideas and creations with each other, without becoming a set of data for companies to exploit.”

“Even homoerotic  _ Harry Potter  _ fanfiction?”

“Even that,” Gilfoyle replied, “I believe in Richard’s idea, even if I don’t believe in Richard. That’s why I’m here.” He paused, then added, “Plus, it’s really fun to fuck with Dinesh.”

“Yeah,” Taylor agreed, “He’s kinda prissy, and I’m better at Java than him.” Gilfoyle chuckled. 

“True,” he said, “You wanna go mess with his head?”

* * *

On Tuesday, Taylor was called into the office of someone she hadn’t met. He’d introduced himself as Ron, and said he was the company’s legal counsel. Seeing as he was wearing shorts and a t-shirt and looked like a surfer, Taylor decided he was the weirdest lawyer she’d ever met.

“Now, I need to explain this non-disclosure agreement you need to sign.” Ron began, “It states that you can’t tell anyone, not your parents, not your friends, not even your boyfriend or girlfriend, how Richie’s algorithm works.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard.” Taylor replied, “Seeing as I don’t have a clue how the algorithm works.” Ron smiled.

“That is what you should say, if anyone asks.” he said, “Regardless of whether it’s true.” He grinned. “Well that concludes my presentation.” He handed her a packet of papers. “Here’s the company’s sexual harassment policy, which basically is that if anyone harasses you, you can tell me, and I will tear them a new hiney-hole and fuck them over with a rolled-up copy of the sexual harassment policy.” He paused, as if realizing that he was talking to a sixteen year-old. “I should probably watch my language.” he said, after an awkward pause.

“Eh, I’ve heard worse.” Taylor admitted.

* * *

On Wednesday, Taylor was eating lunch when she was approached by Jian-Yang, who looked angry. “What do you want, Jian-Yang?” she asked tiredly. The Chinese man scowled.

“You make me look bad with Errich,” he said, “He always says ‘Why can’t you be more like Taylor?’ It’s very annoying.”

“It wouldn’t be an issue if you did your work, instead of antagonizing Erlich.” Taylor replied. Jian-Yang scowled at her.

“You are a witch,” he told her, “Just like Monica.” He then left the room, muttering to himself as he did. Taylor sighed.

“Yep, definitely putting bugs in his food.” she muttered.


	85. Expansion 13.2

**_Amy_** Wednesday, September 26, 2011

Amy sat down beside Vicky in the mall food court, as her sister was in the midst of practically inhaling a plate of fried rice from Panda Express.

“Any news on Tammy?” Vicky asked. Amy sighed.

“Still comatose.” she replied glumly, “All because I forgot about my powers.” Vicky smiled and put her hand on top of Amy’s.

“It was a situation almost exactly like your trigger event, in more ways than one,” she said softly, “No one thinks any less of you, so stop beating yourself up about it. Though, how come you haven’t used your powers on her?” she asked.

“Parents said no.” Amy replied, “Tammy’s stable with no sign of any serious brain damage. They’d rather just wait for her to wake up naturally.” Vicky nodded.

“Makes sense.” she said, before staring at something behind Amy and breaking into a smile. “Hey, Ashley!” she said cheerfully. Amy turned and saw the former villainess standing a ways behind her, looking a tad uncomfortable. Vicky gestured for Ashley to come over and sit, which the platinum blonde did.

“So what brings you here this afternoon?” Vicky asked.

“I need to update my wardrobe, at least, that’s what my teammates have said.” Ashley responded, “According to Miss Militia, ‘You can’t wear the same black dress every day’.” She sighed. Vicky’s expression brightened and she gave Ashley a smile.

“Why don’t I help you?” she suggested. Ashley flushed slightly, and Amy’s power-based senses told her the other girl was rather flustered at the thought of trying on clothes with Vicky.

“Well, count me out.” Amy said, standing up, “I’ve been Vicky’s personal dress-up doll for long enough.” Leaving the food court, she exited the mall and pulled out her phone.

**_Dean Stansfield:_ **

_ Did you and Vicky go “on a break”? _

_ Yeah, on friday, y? _

_ Because Ashley just showed up at the mall and she and Vicky are trying on clothes. Want to go spy on their date? _

A few minutes later, she got a response.

_ Alrite, fuck it. I don’t have anything better 2 do. _

* * *

Dean arrived at the parking lot and entered the mall alongside Amy. 

“So where would Vicky be?” Dean asked, “Honestly, I can’t tell all these stores apart.” Amy snorted.

“You’re such a boy.” she told him. Dean raised an eyebrow.

“That’s rich coming from you,” he shot back, “You wear the same bunch of outfits to school, and your costume is a friggin’ robe.”

“Touche,” Amy admitted, “But, in any case, Vicky’s likely at the J.C. Penny, since it’s the cheapest, since Ashley is probably on a budget.” As they headed over to the store, Dean held out his arm. Amy gave him a confused look.

“What are you doing that for?” she asked.

“If anyone asks, we’re on a date,” he explained, “Makes it seem less like we’re spying on Vicky.” Amy shrugged and linked her arm with his. “Lead the way, Miss Laverre.” he said, gesturing with his free hand. Amy rolled her eyes.

“I can’t believe women like you.” she said. Dean chuckled.

“Your sister seems to like it.” he retorted.

* * *

Entering the store, Amy steered Dean in the direction of the changing rooms. As they concealed themselves by appearing to browse through the mens shoes, Amy peered over the shelves.

“Huh,” she said, “Ashley actually looks pretty good in what Vicky picked out.” The former villainess was showing a dark jeans and grey top combo that worked well with the woman’s white-ish hair. Dean took a look and shrugged.

“Anything’s an improvement over the flowy black ballerina dresses,” he said, earning him a smack on the arm from Amy. “Ow!” he said quietly, “What was that for?”

“Being so judgemental about clothes,” Amy replied, “Sexist much?”

“I really care less about how she looks,” Dean explained, “And more that it doesn’t catch on the edges of my armor. Or the actual joints. Last week, one of the joints seized up and Armsmaster found fabric from her dress stuck in it.” Amy pursed her lips, then nodded.

“Okay, that’s fair,” she admitted, “Now let’s get back to what we’re here for: spying on my sister and your potential replacement.” Dean frowned.

“You don’t have to sound so happy about it.” he muttered. As they watched, Ashley tried out the various outfits Vicky had picked out, including a rather nice party dress. Eventually, the two women narrowed down the options to a manageable number. As Vicky began to hang up the discarded items to be put back, Amy grabbed Dean’s shoulder.

“Let’s go.” she said. Dean nodded. As they headed for the exit, Dean grimaced as he noticed that they had just wandered into Vicky and Ashley’s field of vision, just as the pair had finished checking out.

“Dean? Ames?” Vicky asked, a suspicious look in her eyes, “What are you guys doing here?” Amy smiled.

“Just helping Dean pick out some shoes.” she said, trying to sound as insincere as possible. Vicky’s eyes narrowed.

“Were you spying on Ashley and me?” she asked. Dean gave her a sheepish smile.

“I wouldn’t say that,” he began, “Amy told me you guys were on a date.” Vicky groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“I am not on a date with Ashley!” she insisted, “And just because I’m spending time with another girl, it doesn’t mean I’m dating her!” Ashley cleared her throat, drawing Vicky’s attention.

“Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to get dinner sometime.” the platinum blonde said, “My treat.” Vicky gave Ashley a surprised look, then glared at Dean.

“That sounds awesome, Ashley, and I’d be happy to,” she told her, “Unless you have any objections, Dean.” she added.

“You’re your own person, Vicky,” Dean replied, “It’s none of my business who you have dinner with.” Vicky smiled triumphantly.

“Great!” she said, turning to Ashley, “How does Friday at six sound?” As the two girls compared schedules, Amy led Dean out of the store.

“You did this on purpose,” Dean said as they headed towards the parking lot, “Didn’t you?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Amy replied, a massive grin stretching across her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wants to add some of the crossover elements to the TVTropes page, I'd really appreciate it.


	86. Expansion 13.3

**_Taylor_** Thursday, September 27, 2011

As Taylor entered the Pied Piper offices, she sent a mental command to various flies and ants to home in on Jian-Yang’s lunch. Smiling with satisfaction at her petty revenge, Taylor took the stairs up to what she thought of as the nerve center of the company.

Picking her way through the servers, she made her way to the conference room, where she could see Jared hard at work looking over some documents.

“What’s that?” she asked as she entered, reaching over to grab the already completed files, “And where should I take these?” Jared looked up, a smile crossing his face.

“Good to see you, Taylor!” he said warmly, “These,” he gestured at the papers he was looking at, “Are patent applications for some of the more unique products we’ve developed. And those are for Ron and you to take down to the courthouse. They’re affidavits certifying that we’re complying with various rules and regulations.”

“How come I’m going with?” Taylor asked.

“They need to be notarized with a witness.” Jared explained. Taylor nodded and made her way over to Ron’s office.

* * *

Ten minutes later, they were driving downtown in Ron’s Mercedes. Taylor was sitting quietly, holding the affadavits in her hands, not sure what to do. 

“I’ve been here before, you know?” Ron remarked, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I went to a Lustrum event, before it got all…” he paused, “You know.” Taylor nodded.

“What were you doing at a Lustrum rally?” she asked, “As the daughter of two members of the movement, you aren’t really the type.” Ron laughed.

“I know, right?” he said, still chuckling, “Truth is, I got into it during law school. At the end of one of my internships, I got offered a position once I passed the bar, even though one of the other interns, a woman, worked a lot harder than I did, mainly because I was already planning to go back home and open my own practice. I had just taken the internship to get some experience under my belt, and I made that clear. When I asked my supervisor why she didn’t get picked, he said it was because she was too emotional.”

“Granted, she’d had an outburst or two from stress, but compared to some of the other interns, she was the picture of tranquility. I didn’t take the job, but I offered the woman a place at my firm. I heard about Lustrum on the radio, decided to go see if I could help. I got mugged on my way out of the bus station.” Ron chuckled, drawing a smile from Taylor.

“That is the traditional Brockton Bay welcome.” she joked.

“Anyways,” Ron continued, “I went to the rally and after hearing their message, I was sold. After I passed the bar, me and my friend, we went back home to Arkansas and opened a firm. We specialized in helping people overlooked by most legal services. Women, minorities, homeless people, we helped ‘em all.”

“That doesn’t sound like it paid all that well.” Taylor remarked.

“It didn’t,” Ron replied, “We ended up sleeping in our office the first year. For the most part, we accepted payment in food or repairs for the office. We didn’t even make enough to pay taxes the first couple years. But eventually, we started to get a reputation for being good, and clients with money started coming in.”

“Then what?” Taylor asked, “How did you end up in Silicon Valley?”

“Well, I needed a change. I kept getting frustrated by little things, like how when my friend and I went to meetings, people always assumed she was a paralegal or my assistant. Turns out, she wanted to stand on her own. I left her the law practice and headed out to California. Got asked to help out a college buddy with their startup, found out I had a knack for it. One job led to another and eventually I was making a ton of money.”

“That’s really interesting,” Taylor told him. Ron nodded. 

“Yeah, I’m really glad I wound up there,” he said, “I really admire what Richie and the others are doing with this algorithm. Building a better Internet, that works for everyone.” He smiled. “But enough about me,” he said, “I want to know more about you.”

* * *

Arriving at the courthouse, Taylor followed Ron to an office, where a city official asked Taylor to sign her name on the documents, then stamped them with a fancy looking seal. As they headed home, Ron’s driving seemed to be a little faster than before.

“Hey, Ron?” she asked, “Are we in a hurry?”

“No,” he replied, “Why?”

“Because we haven’t dropped below our starting speed since we left.” Taylor explained. Ron stiffened.

“Which means something’s wrong with the brakes.” Ron said, realization dawning. “Fuck,” he said quietly. “Alright,” he told Taylor, “Here’s what we’re going to do.” He reached over and undid Taylor’s seat belt. “You’re going to jump out, while I stay in the car and try to make a semi-controlled stop.”

“You’re going to crash?” Taylor exclaimed.

“This car is crashing anyway,” Ron shot back, “And if I’m found in a car crash with a minor, the PR fallout is going to fuck the company over. Also, you’re a kid, and I don’t let kids get hurt if I can help it.” He leaned over and opened the passenger side door. “My advice? Tuck and roll.” 

Taylor nodded and hurled herself out of the car, tucking and rolling as she’d been taught by the PRT. Getting to her feet, she turned and saw Ron’s Mercedes slam into a dumpster. After a moment, the driver side door opened and Ron stepped out, limping slightly.

“They say any landing you can walk away from is a good one,” he said, sitting down at the curb, “Looks like the same holds true for car crashes.”

* * *

“So someone tried to kill you guys?” Dinesh asked. Ron nodded. 

“That’s what the officer said when he took a look at the car. Thank God for that stunt driving course I took.” he remarked, drawing an eye-roll from Gilfoyle. Taylor sighed and rubbed her temples.

“Four days on the job, and I’m already the subject of an assassination attempt.” she muttered.

“Hey, it’s a new experience for the rest of us, too.” Gilfoyle remarked, eliciting a chuckle from Taylor. Richard groaned, then retched into a nearby trash bin. Jared rushed over, kneeling beside the Tinker and rubbing comforting circles into his back.

“There, there,” Jared said as Richard vomited into the container, “Let it out.”

“So, what are we going to do?” Taylor asked, “We have to do something. We can’t take an actual assassination attempt lying down.” Jared nodded.

“Ron, did you impress upon the police officer that discretion is important?” he asked. Ron nodded.

“Yeah. He said he’d get forensics run, see if that tells us anything about who did this.” he told the taller man.

“We already know who did this,” Dinesh interjected, “The Elite, because we pissed off Gavin fucking Belson!” He looked around. “And whose fucking idea was that, again?” he asked, glaring at Richard.

“Dinesh,” Gilfoyle told the Pakistani Tinker, “Shut the fuck up. The Elite would have targeted us, even if we hadn’t pissed off Belson. We’re independent Tinkers. They would have been after us regardless.”

“He has a point,” Ron said, “I told you guys it would be an issue when I started.” Dinesh sighed and nodded, as if admitting the lawyer was right. “Point is, where do we go from here?” he asked, “I mean, it’s not like they’re going to stop, unless we join them. And we aren’t doing that, are we?” he asked, looking around at the group.

“Hell no.” Gilfoyle replied, “I refuse to work for those pricks, and I’m not starting now.” Richard nodded, as did Dinesh.

“Yeah, fuck them!” Richard declared. Jared smiled.

“Excellent,” he said cheerfully, “We’ve got a lot of work to do. I’m going to start getting bids on a security company. Gilfoyle, would you be able to do an overhaul of our network security. Taylor, maybe you could order some take-out, we might be here a while…”


	87. Expansion 13.4

**_Herberta_** Friday, September 27, 2011

“Someone tried to kill you?” Dani asked. They were eating dinner, after Taylor had arrived home from work.

“Yeah,” Taylor replied glumly, “I suppose you’ll want me to quit.” Dani chuckled at that, drawing a confused glance from Herberta.

“Sweetie,” Dani asked her daughter, “Do you know how many times I’ve nearly been Jimmy Hoffa’d because of my work? If you think you can stay safe while doing your job, you should keep doing it! It’s clear you enjoy your work there.” Taylor smiled bashfully.

“Really? I can stay?” she asked.

“Sure!” Dani replied. Taylor smiled.

“Thanks, Mom!” she said excitedly. Once dinner was over, as Dani was rinsing dishes, Herberta came over and put her arms around her girlfriend’s waist. She pressed a kiss to Dani’s temple.

“Are you really okay with Taylor keeping her job?” Herberta asked, “It’s fine if you’re not.” Dani smiled.

“I’m really fine with it. There was a time when Annette and I had to check under our cars for bombs with mirrors,” she told Herberta, “Come to think of it, I think I still have it somewhere.” Herberta smiled at her.

“All right, if you’re sure,” she said, “I trust you.” She pressed another kiss to Dani’s temple.

* * *

Waking up Saturday morning, Herberta slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Dani. Heading into the PHQ, she was met by Rory and Ashley outside her office. Both were dressed in work clothes and boots, and Ashley was wearing a thick woolen scarf.

“Hey guys!” she greeted them, drawing a polite wave from Rory and a shy smile from Ashley, “Let me leave my stuff in the office, and then we can get going.”

After depositing her bag in her office, Herberta, Rory and Ashley piled into an undercover PRT van, labeled as belonging to a landscaping company. An apt cover, considering what they were planning to do. As they pulled out of the parking lot, a question occurred to Herberta.

“Hey guys?” she asked, “What do you think it means to ‘Jimmy Hoffa’ someone? Dani mentioned she’d nearly had that happen to her before.” Rory frowned.

“What was the context she said it in?” he asked, “Given that she works for the DWA, I’d say it implied she pissed off the Mafia. Which is weird, because the Mafia doesn’t really have a presence in Brockton Bay.”

“I figured she meant that someone threatened to make her disappear forever, making her the source of endless conspiracy theories about what happened to her.” Ashley offered, drawing an agreeable nod from Rory.

“So what do you think was going to happen to her body? Buried under a stadium?” he asked the former villainess.

“My theory is that the body was buried in an open burial plot the night before a funeral in some random cemetary in Indiana,” Ashley replied, “At least, that’s how I would have done it.” Herberta and Rory exchanged a glance, wondering how likely it was that Ashley had disposed of a body in this way.

* * *

Arriving at an empty lot near the building they’d identified as the entrance to Coil’s base, Ashley and Rory followed Herberta to the back of the van. Opening the door, Herberta revealed a box on wheels with a push handle. 

“What’s that?” Rory asked, confused. “It looks like a lawnmower.”

“This is a ground-penetrating radar device,” Herberta explained, smiling, “Courtesy of the Brockton Bay Forensics Lab. Now help me get this out.” 

After extricating the device from the van, Herberta wheeled it over to one corner of the lot. “Alright people. This thing uses directional ground-penetrating radar,” she explained, “From here, we should be able to get a clear scan of Coil’s base.” She flicked a switch on the handle, causing the device to emit a faint whine that stopped after about a minute. Pulling out a large piece of chalk, she made two marks on the ground, one on each side of the device. She then wheeled the device to a spot beside the marks, lining up one side of the device with one of the chalk marks.

“So, I need you guys to keep doing what I just did,” she explained, “While I go take a look at the building.”

* * *

Herberta snuck over to the dilapidated apartment building that served to hide the entrance of Coil’s base. Slipping off her work boots, she placed the housing for her suit over her chest, exhaling as it formed around her. Tapping a panel on one arm, she activated the camouflage system she’d spent the past week working on. It had been designed to render her invisible to the naked eye, as well as most cameras and sensor systems.

Checking to make sure she wasn’t being watched, she opened the door and stepped inside. In contrast to the dilapidated exterior, the inside was clean and tidy. Herberta drew her pistol and edged into the hallway. Her pistol at the ready, she searched through the building, noting the various entrances and exits, and identifying an elevator as the likely entrance to Coil’s base.

Sneaking back out and retrieving her boots, Herberta returned to the empty lot, where Rory and Ashley were hard at work.

“Oh, Ashley, I almost forgot,” Herberta asked, “How was your date with Victoria last night?” Ashley smiled thinly.

“It was okay,” the platinum blond answered, “I got a kiss on the cheek, but she hasn’t called to ask for a second date.”

“Makes sense,” Rory said, “A kiss on the cheek usually means she has some affection for you, but isn’t sure if she wants a relationship. In the meantime, there’s always Tindr.” Ashley gave him an offended glance.

“What makes you think I would lower myself to using an app designed to facilitate tawdry affairs?” she asked. Rory shrugged.

“Just saying, you have options.” he told her, eliciting a very ladylike snort of derision from Ashley.

“At least she’s actually interested in you,” Herberta interjected, “My high school track record with attractive popular girls wasn’t too good.” Rory frowned.

“I thought you said you weren’t out in high school.” he said. Herberta nodded.

“I wasn’t,” she replied, “But I did offer homework help to popular girls I had crushes on, in the vain hope that as we studied, we’d fall madly in love, and begin a secret relationship.” Rory’s jaw dropped.

“Wow,” he said, after a pregnant pause, “That is the most stereotypical teenage girl thing I’ve ever heard you say, Herbie.”

“I was a romantic sap as a teenager,” Herberta admitted, “Not that any of the girls I asked ever took me up on my offer.” Ashley snorted.

“Their loss.” she muttered, drawing a self-satisfied smile from Herberta.

“Anyway,” Herberta began, eager to change the subject away from her failed high school romances, “How are things going with you and Sam, Rory?” she asked. 

“Pretty well, actually,” Rory replied, “We’re actually going to meet my parents this weekend.”

“Worried she might be intimidated by meeting the mayor?” Ashley asked teasingly.

“Well, Guiliani didn’t scare her, so I’m not too worried,” Rory shot back, without missing a beat, “Besides, my mother has given assurances she’ll make sure he behaves.” Ashley gave Herberta a look that asked how likely it was that Mrs. Christner could follow through. Herberta gave a hurried nod. She had met the woman, and in her opinion, Mrs. Christner was terrifying.

“All right,” Rory said, “That’s the last scan.” Herberta nodded.

“Good,” she said, “Now let’s get out of here.”


	88. Expansion 13.5

**_Taylor_** Monday, September 30, 2011

Arriving at Pied Piper from the PHQ, Taylor was surprised to see everyone was rushing around. She went to find Jian-Yang, who was standing beside a No Smoking sign, taking a long drag from a cigarette. Taylor mentally upped the number of bugs she was going to send into his food.

“What’s going on?” she asked the Chinese man. Jian-Yang shrugged dismissively.

“Quarterly shareholder meeting.” he said.

“What should we do to help?” Taylor asked.

“You can ask them,” Jian-Yang replied, “I do nothing.” He returned to his smoking as Taylor headed for the stairs. Arriving at the second floor, she hurried over to the conference room, where the frenzy of activity seemed to be concentrated. Gilfoyle was running cables from the servers to a pair of TV screens, as well as to a pair of cameras mounted on tripods above the screens. Ron and Jared were standing beside Richard, apparently discussing the specifics of some documents in front of them. Dinesh was typing furiously on his laptop as Erlich was rushing in and out of the conference room, wearing a different turtleneck each time.

“Erlich,” Taylor called to the entrepenuer, “Jian-Yang is smoking downstairs. What should I do?” she asked. Erlich scowled and stormed out of the conference room.

“Motherfucking…” he muttered, then shouted, “JIAN-YANG!” as he left. Taylor smiled as she watched him leave. Gilfoyle was right, winding up Erlich  _ was  _ kinda fun. As Richard and Jared both shot her a grateful smile, she headed over to where Gilfoyle was hooking up cables to the TV screens.

“Hey, Gilfoyle,”she asked, “Anything I can do to help?” The engineer looked over at her, as if just realizing she was there, then pursed his lips.

“Can you check and make sure the cables are securely connected to the servers?” he asked. Taylor nodded and left the conference room, following the winding path of the cables until she found the bank of servers they were connected to. After making sure the cables were plugged in and secure, she shouted back to Gilfoyle, “All clear!” 

“Thanks.” came the reply. As Taylor returned to the conference room, she found everyone seated in chairs around the table. Dinesh was still typing on his laptop, but stopped and told Richard, “We’re ready.” Gilfoyle turned on the monitors, showing two faces. The first was of a woman in her mid-forties with brown hair and grey eyes, wearing a pair of reading glasses and a dress shirt and sweater. The second was of a similarly-aged man, sporting a tan. His eyes were brown and he wore a dress shirt with several buttons undone, giving Taylor an unnecesary view of his chest.  _ Maybe I could convince Lisa to wear her shirts like that,  _ she thought, before returning her attention to the meeting. The woman spoke first.

_ “Hello, Richard,”  _ she said,  _ “It is good to see you.”  _ Richard nodded.

“I-it’s good to see you too, Laurie,” he replied, “Since we have someone new here, could you guys introduce yourselves and explain what your role is?” he asked. Laurie nodded.

_ “Very well,”  _ she said evenly,  _ “I am Laurie Bream, Senior VP at Ravinga Capital. I serve as a representative for the company on the board of Pied Piper.”  _ Richard nodded and gestured to the man on the screen. 

_ “I’m Russ Hanneman, hot-shot investor and member of the Three Comma Club.”  _ he told them.

“The three comma’s mean he’s a billionaire.” Gilfoyle explained.

“Oh,” Taylor said, “I see.”

_ “Let us get to business, as I’m sure we all have things we could be doing,”  _ Laurie interjected,  _ “To begin, how are you coming along with your development goals?”  _ Richard smiled.

“We’ve just finished our video-chat application.” he said. Laurie raised an eyebrow.

_ “Can we see it?”  _ she asked.

“We sent a demo to your assistants,” Richard explained, “And you are both actually using it right now.” He gave an awkward smile. Laurie gave a small nod and seemed to look around the screen.

_ “This is an excellent interface, very well done,”  _ she said, as Russ grinned eagerly.

_ “So does this mean my radio streaming app is up next?”  _ he asked. Richard nodded.

“Yes,” he replied, “Your streaming app is next on our list, now that video streaming is working and we’ve worked out the bugs with audio.” Russ smiled.

_ “Awesome!”  _ he said loudly, startling Taylor a little,  _ “Can’t wait to see it.”  _ Laurie nodded.

_ “Ah, good work, all of you,”  _ she said,  _ “Now, we’ve looked into the company you met with, and it seems that they are content to market it as a data storage solution, rather than attempt to compete with us.”  _ Richard scowled.

“I’m still pissed they managed to trick us,” he said, “But as long as they aren’t directly competing with us, I can let it go.”

_ “Well, I was speaking to a colleague yesterday, and he had an idea he’d like to suggest,”  _ Laurie explained, drawing a confused look from Richard and Erlich.

“What, exactly, is his idea?” Erlich asked.

_ “He can explain it better than I,”  _ she answered, then waved at someone off-screen,  _ “Jack, could you come over here?”  _ The screen was then occupied by an older, balding man with glasses.  _ “Richard, this is Jack Barker, a former CEO,”  _ Laurie told them,  _ “Jack, can you explain to Richard and his associates what you suggested to me?” _ Jack nodded.

_ “So,”  _ he began,  _ “Laurie told me that you guys have an issue that your network requires its own special operating system and software to use, and you’re having trouble finding a device manufacturer to partner with and use your software on their devices. I wondered if you guys had considered manufacturing your own devices.” _

“We considered it,” Richard replied, “But eventually decided we didn’t have enough money to develop the network and a line of devices. Gilfoyle,” he gestured to the Canadian Tinker, “Did work up technical specs for the optimal devices to run our apps on, but we’ve been using that to decide who to talk to.” Jack nodded.

_ “I see,”  _ he said,  _ “Laurie, would you be willing to invest more capital into the company in order for them to develop their own line of devices, which makes use of their innovative network and proprietary software and apps?”  _

_ “Certainly,”  _ Laurie answered,  _ “Especially given that you already have technical specs prepared. I will have to consult with Peter, but I think we can offer one million dollars in additional funding for you to develop devices. Possibly more, should you be able to find a company to manufacture them.”  _ She looked over at Russ’s screen.  _ “Russ?”  _ she asked.

_ “I’ll kick in another million, plus a million more for advertising and sales once you need it.” _

“That’s my main concern,” Erlich interjected, “I mean, I could probably sell this in my sleep, but Richard is not the most charismatic of people. Make him the face of the Pied Piper brand, and we probably won’t sell shit.”

_ “I would be willing to consult on sales and marketing, for a small fee,”  _ Jack offered,  _ “But you are right, the CEO is traditionally the face of the company’s brand. Richard,”  _ he asked,  _ “What are your thoughts on having someone else step in as CEO? I’d be happy to.” _

“I-I’m not sure,” Richard replied, a stammer creeping back into his voice, “I have some questions about how much control I would have over the company.”

_ “Hmm,”  _ Jack hummed,  _ “That’s a good question. Perhaps we could dilute shares, give me a smaller stake than you, and refer to you as the founder. I’d defer to your vision and be in charge of implementing it. We could meet and figure out what your goals are, and how you want me to implement them. A guidebook for me, if you will.” _

“We could take five percent off of Richard, Dinesh, and Gilfoyle’s shares, giving Jack fifteen percent, which would still be less than their twenty percent.” Jared suggested. 

“Sounds fine to me.” Gifloyle replied.

“Same here.” Dinesh added.

_ “Very well,”  _ Laurie said from off screen,  _ “All in favor of appointing Jack Barker as CEO of Pied Piper, raise their hands.”  _ Everyone raised their hands.  _ “I am raising my hand as well.”  _ she added.

_ “Great,”  _ Jack said,  _ “Gilfoyle, can you send me your specs? I’d like to do some research on costs for parts and see if I can’t find some less expensive suppliers for any specialty parts.” _

“Okay, but most of this is stuff you can get off the shelf at a electronics store. Not sure how much you’d be able to shave off the price.”

_ “Maybe not, but if I can, it’ll increase our runway. I’d also like to make use of that million Russ offered for advertising, find an advertising firm and start working on a logo. Current one is fine, but I’d like to see if we can get something better. In my experience, it’s stuff like this that can be the difference between success and failure.”  _ Jack replied,  _ “And as the new CEO, I’m going to give you guys tomorrow off. Have fun, get some rest. I’ll be here on Wednesday to meet and determine the goals and course of this company.”  _

The meeting continued as everyone reviewed financial stuff and the various minutiae of running the company. As she headed home, Taylor wondered what exactly these changes meant for her.


	89. Interlude 13.a-Richard

Richard woke up and realized he was freezing. Looking over, he saw that Jared had stolen the covers, presumably in his tossing and turning during the night.  _ At least he stopped talking in German,  _ Richard thought. They had been dating for a few months after TechCrunch, and Richard had worried that moving in together was premature. But so far, he and Jared had adjusted to the other’s presence fairly well. He was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of Jared stirring.

“Hey,” he told the brunette, “Did you have a rough night?” Jared looked down, taking in the piled-up covers and awkward position, and sighed.

“Looks like it,” he said glumly. “But that’s not a big deal, today’s the day you meet with Jack Barker!” he added cheerfully, “I’ll go make some breakfast, while you get ready. You need to be looking your best today.”

  
  


Arriving at the Pied Piper building just before eight, Richard was surprised to see Jack Barker standing by the door.

“I try to be early to important meetings,” the new CEO explained, “Shows how seriously I’m taking it.” Jared unlocked the doors, and Richard led Jack up to the conference room. As they sat down at the table, Jack spoke first.

“Where is that assistant you had at the meeting?” he asked.

“She only works afternoons,” Richard explained, “She’s still in school.” Jack nodded.

“Guess I’ll have to get my own coffee in the mornings,” he remarked with a chuckle. “Anyway, let’s get down to business,” he said, pulling out a notepad and a pen, “What I want to know is what you want this company to do. Doesn’t matter if it’s crazy or unrealistic. If this business has taught me anything, it’s that nothing is too crazy or impossible.” Richard took a deep breath. He could do this.

“W-what I want to do with P-pied Piper is to make an Internet where people aren’t treated as commodities and aren’t s-shut out by giants like H-hooli or Apple. Where everyone is on a level playing field.” he told Jack, who jotted down a few notes on his pad.

“Okay,” the older man said, “That’s ambitious, but definitely possible. So you want us to go about things in a more compassionate way than most tech giants, is that correct? No hostile takeovers or anything like that.” Richard nodded. “Okay,” Jack said, “Might make expanding difficult, but we’ll cross that bridge if we come to it. Now, I went over the specs for Mr. Gilfoyle’s ideal device, and it gave me an idea. Now, before you say no, please hear me out.” Richard sighed. It was never a good thing when someone said that.

“Servers.” Jack told him. “Now I know that it flies in the face of your idea of a serverless Internet, but until that gets off the ground, companies will still need server space, and your compression algorithm means you can offer more space than your competitors. Plus, it gives you a quick and continuous revenue stream, which can help pay expenses and might save the company if there’s a recession. People will always need server space.”

“But we’d be developing something that would make our own product obsolete.” Richard pointed out, “Isn’t that a bad business model?” Jack smiled.

“Only if you aren’t prepared for it,” he replied, “Plus, by proving our reliability to those companies we sell to, we make it more likely that they would partner with us and move their sites onto our network. Which I’m assuming we’re charging a maintenance fee or something to use the network.” Richard nodded. “We should have a pricing model ready before we introduce it.”

“We’re having trouble figuring that out. We can’t figure out a model that’s fair to everyone.” Richard admitted. Jack made a face.

“It’s possible there might not be a consistently fair pricing model. But I’ll do my best to make it as fair as it can be.” he said. “Now, about devices. I assume we’re going with the big three: smartphones, laptops and desktop computers. Are there any other devices you’d like to build and sell?”

“No,” Richard responded, “What you said sounds good.” Jack nodded, writing something down on his notepad.

“Lastly, I wanted to mention this in case it does come up, but we might run into an issue with NEPEA-5, given that most of this is being developed by Tinkers. I don’t think we’ll be running into problems, but just be ready if we do.” he said.

“Okay.” Richard said.

“Well, that is everything I needed to know, do you have any questions?” Jack asked. Richard shook his head. “Great!” the CEO replied, “I’m going to get some breakfast, do you want anything?”

“I already ate.”


	90. Expansion 13.6

**_Taylor_** Wednesday, October 2, 2011

Arriving at Pied Piper, Taylor entered the building and headed up to the second floor. Heading over to the conference room, she noticed she hadn’t seen Gilfoyle where he usually was, either setting up servers or writing code amidst them. As she approached the conference room, she saw a stout, balding man she recognized as Jack Barker, the newly appointed CEO of the company. When he noticed her, he gave her a cheerful smile.

“Hello, young lady!” he greeted her, “ You must be the Taylor I’ve heard so much about.” Taylor smiled bashfully.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir.” she replied, “Do you know where Gilfoyle is? He normally tells me what I should do.” Jack nodded.

“He’s downstairs, working on prototypes for our new servers.” he told her.

“Servers?” Taylor asked, confused, “I thought our thing was that we didn’t need servers.”

“Basically, we’re taking advantage of the compression algorithm to provide a superior server while we work on the network. It’ll give us a source of revenue and a fallback option if something happens.” Jack explained. Taylor nodded. That made sense. 

“Thank you for telling me.” she said as she headed downstairs. Seeing an open door, she peered inside and found Gilfoyle working on a circuitboard. She waited until he was finished, then waved to get his attention.

“Hello, Taylor,” the Canadian Tinker said evenly, “How are you?”

“Good,” Taylor replied. “So I hear we’re building servers now?” she asked. Gilfoyle nodded.

“I’ll admit I was skeptical at first,” he said, “But once they explained how it could give us revenue while we work on the network, it was clearly a good plan.” He paused. “Which explains why Dinesh was so against it.” he added. Taylor laughed.

“Of course he was.” she said. “Do you need any help?” she asked.

“Just to hold some stuff and be ready with the fire extinguisher during testing.” Gilfoyle replied, eliciting a smile from Taylor.

“I’m your girl, then.” she said, walking over and grabbing some sterile gloves.

**_Herberta_** Wednesday, October 2, 2011

Herberta sat in one of the conference rooms, the 3D model of Coil’s base rendered from the scans they’d taken sitting on the table in front of her. Colin and Hannah were in the room as well, Colin sitting in a chair, while Hannah lay on the floor, legs braced against the wall.

“So,” Herberta mused, “We can’t just dig right into Noelle’s containment cell and get her out, because of the fact that it’s lined with seismic sensors to watch for escapes. We can’t tunnel under it because the base has an honest-to-God geothermal power plant underneath, which also has seismic sensors.”

“Yuppp.” Hannah replied glumly, “There’s no way through this that doesn’t involve the team fighting their way through an unknown number of mercenaries.”

“What if we were to stage a distraction?” Colin suggested. The other two looked at him. “Hear me out. We could hire Faultline’s crew, or someone similar to raid one of Coil’s other safehouses at the same time as this raid, forcing him to divide his forces.”

“It could work.” Hannah admitted.

“It would be better if the raid occurred before ours, as I’m betting Coil will use his power to both investigate the raid and retain his forces at his base, likely to counter something like that.” Herberta added. “But I’m still not sure how to get in. There’s no way to tunnel in without making noise and alerting Calvert to what we’re doing.”

“What if we didn’t use machinery?” Hannah mused. Colin and Herberta both looked over at her. “Amy has been working on altering bacteria for various purposes. I don’t think an earth-eating strain is beyond her.”

“How do you know so much about what Amy’s been doing with her powers?” Herberta asked. Hannah shrugged.

“We both have trouble sleeping, at times,” she answered sheepishly, “So, on occasions when we’re both awake, we go to the cafeteria and drink tea and talk. It’s actually very fascinating.” Colin shrugged.

“Okay, but how will we disguise what we’re doing there? Panacea standing in the middle of an empty lot is going to draw attention.” he asked.

“How about we contract some other company to build a parking complex?” Herberta suggested, “It makes sense for the area, it won’t go underground, and it provides cover.” Colin and Hannah nodded.

“Sounds good.” Colin said.

“Now all we have to do is plan how we’re actually going to get Noelle out.” Hannah said with a sigh. Herberta smiled.

“I have some ideas about that.”


	91. Interlude 13.b- Karen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for ableist language.

Karen pulled up to the gas station, noting the prices. Given her rate of fuel consumption, refueling her tank would cost exactly seventy-five dollars and twelve cents. She really was grateful for that app she’d found that showed gas prices in the area. Tapping the “Regular” option, she undid the gas cap and began filling up her tank. She guessed that it would take about two minutes to fill up the tank, which gave her plenty of time to get some snacks for the road.

Entering the convenience store, Karen made a beeline for the aisle with the snack cakes. She smiled when she saw that they had plenty of Zebra Cakes on the shelves. Grabbing an armful, she went over to the drinks and selected an orange juice. Making her way to the cashier, she noticed another car pull up.

Laying her purchases on the counter, Karen gave the cashier, a younger woman in her late twenties, a cheerful smile.

“Guess you really like these, huh.” the cashier remarked at the sight of all the snack cakes.

-Yeah- _,_ Karen signed, -They contain lots of carbohydrates and taste better than pasta.- The cashier gave her a quizzical look.

“Oh,” she said, realization dawning on her face, “You’re one of them deaf types. I’m sorry, but I don’t know any of that sign language stuff.”

-It’s okay,- Karen signed, trying to use her expression to show she wasn’t mad, -I get it.- The cashier nodded, seeming to understand.

“Should I enunciate,” she asked, “So you can have an easier time readin’ my lips?” Karen shook her head.

-I’m mute,- she signed, tapping her throat, -Not deaf.-

“You can’t talk, huh?” the cashier asked, “How come, if you don’t mind me asking?”

-Born this way,- Karen signed, then, seeing the confusion on the cashier’s face, mimed rocking a baby to sleep.

“You were born like that, huh?” the cashier replied, “I can’t imagine living like that, to be honest.” Karen shrugged. At that moment, two masked men burst in, each carrying a shotgun. 

“Don’t move!” one shouted, as the other shot out the security cameras, “This is a robbery!” Karen rolled her eyes. She could take two robbers with one hand tied behind her back. She dipped her hand into her handbag, making sure her pistol was easily accessible. With any luck, she wouldn’t need it, but it never hurt to be prepared.

Once she was sure she could reach her gun easily, she approached the robbers, hands held out in a non-threatening manner. -Please don’t hurt me.- she signed, drawing confused looks from the robbers.

“What is she doing?” one asked, “Is she retarded or somethin’?”

“I think she’s autistic.” the other replied.

“Same thing.” 

_ Well,  _ Karen thought to herself,  _ That settles it. These two are going to die.  _ She gestured for the cashier to duck, then pulled out her pistol. When they saw it, both robbers started laughing.

“Oh, that’s hilarious!” one said, “The retard has a gun.” Karen checked the angles and pointed the barrel at the floor and fired.

The bullet hit the floor, ricocheted up into the metal of a shelf and and shot through the heads of both robbers before embedding itself in the far wall. The sheer force with which it had struck them ripped apart their heads. As they crumpled to the ground, Karen produced a pair of blue latex gloves. Pulling them on, she walked over and patted down the corpses. Finding their wallets, she removed the credit cards and cash from it and placed a hundred dollars in bills on the counter. Giving the cashier, who was cowering behind the counter, an awkward smile and put a finger to her lips, hopefully conveying that she should remain silent as to Karen’s involvement in the incident.

Exiting the store, Karen made her way over to her car, removed the nozzle and replaced the gas cap, and got inside. Turning the ignition for the extra second needed to start it, she pulled out of the station, setting off down the Indiana back-roads. As she drove, she opened one of the Zebra Cakes and took a bite. Things were looking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Karen Wynn, my take on the Number Man.


	92. Indianapolis 14.1

**_Herberta_** Friday, December 23, 2011

“You know, disposing of a body via wood chipper makes a lot of sense if you’re going to destroy the remains with acid,” Lisa remarked to Herberta as the credits rolled on  _ Fargo,  _ which they’d been watching in the backseat of the rental van as Dani drove to Indianapolis.

The whole thing had started on Herberta’s birthday, a month and a half earlier, when she’d taken her mother’s annual call to see how she was. She’d mentioned she’d met Dani, and her mother had insisted they visit for Thanksgiving. Herberta had managed to convince her they’d come over for Christmas. Which had resulted in their cross-country road trip. Around hour seven, Dani had exiled Herberta to the back seat to get some sleep.

“See, by putting the body through the woodchipper, you increase the surface area on which the acid can work, as well as reducing the size of the mass the acid has to work on,” Lisa explained, “Which decreases the chance of the acid losing its potency.” Herberta nodded sleepily, only half-aware.

  
  


As the van pulled into her mom’s driveway, Herberta stretched out her arms and legs. Once Dani had parked, she opened the door and got out, seeing her mom on the back porch. Striding over, she arrived at the porch. Standing in front of the steps, she waited for her mom to react.

“Are you just gonna stand there,” her mother said dryly, “Or are you going to give your mother a hug for the first time in years?” Herberta smiled as she leapt up the steps and wrapped her mother in a hug. 

“I missed you.” she said, blinking away tears.

“So did I.” her mother replied. She peered over Herberta’s shoulder to look at Dani, who was removing suitcases with Taylor and Lisa’s help, and asked, “So, aren’t you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?” Herberta groaned. Dani, as if she had heard her mother, came down the driveway, pulling a pair of suitcases behind her. She arrived at the porch, and came up, holding out her hand to Herberta’s mother.

“Dani Hebert, ma’am,” she said, giving Herberta’s mother an awkward smile, “It’s nice to meet you. Your daughter has told me a lot about you.” Herberta’s mother smiled as she shook Dani’s hand.

“All, nice things, I hope.” she said, shooting Herberta a sly smile. “I’m Eunice Baker, but you can call me whatever.” Dani nodded, then reached over and picked up the suitcases she’d brought, placing them on the porch.

* * *

Hours later, Herberta curled up against Dani in her childhood bedroom. The evening had gone well, with her mother taking a shine to both Taylor and Lisa. They’d watched some Christmas movies and Herberta had caught up with her mother.

“Your mother’s really nice.” Dani remarked, “How come you don’t spend much time with her?” Herberta sighed.

“We just don’t… click,” she told Dani after a long pause, “I don’t get her, and she doesn’t really get me. My dad was the one who ususally bridged the gap, but after he died…” she trailed off and Dani nodded.

“I saw the interview,” she said, “Did you forgive her for what she said?”

“Of course,” Herberta replied, “It wasn’t anything I hadn’t already thought. As soon as she apologized, I forgave her. But we don’t really have a lot to say to each other, so…”

“You don’t talk much,” Dani finished, “It’s fine. I just wondered.” She paused and looked around, then smirked. “Did you ever bring a girl here?” she whispered into Herberta’s ear.

“Nope,” Herberta replied with a giggle, “My high school sex life was entirely imaginary.”

“Do you want to christen your room?” Dani asked teasingly. Herberta paled.

“Nope,” she said hastily, “The walls are super-thin, and my mom is a very light sleeper.” Dani went pale at that.

“Never mind,” she told Herberta, “I changed my mind. I just got your mother to like me, I don’t want to ruin that by being caught defiling her daughter.” Herberta chuckled.

“Knowing my mother,” she said, “She’d be more annoyed at being woken up.”

* * *

“I’m not saying you have to go in, You can stay outside at the coffee shop.” Herberta’s mother told her. Herberta sighed.

“Fine.” she said. As they exited the car and entered the church, Herberta saw the small coffee shop tucked off to the side, near the offices for the various pastors. 

“I’ll stay with Herberta, if it’s okay with you, Mom.” Taylor said.

“Alright, honey.” Dani replied. As Lisa, Dani and her mother headed into the sanctuary, Herberta went over and ordered a coffee. Sitting down at one of the tables, she saw Taylor head over to the adjoining bookstore. As she drank her coffee, she heard a small gasp behind her.

“Herbie Baker?” said a bearded man in a suit and pastor’s robe, his red beard threaded with grey, “In a church? Never thought I’d see the day.”

“Lyle?” Herberta asked, surprised to see her childhood youth pastor, “You’re still here?” Lyle smiled.

“Yep,” he said, “They’ve got me doing the midnight service, so I’m just waitin’ my turn. But what brings you here? I seem to recall you expressing some discomfort with organized religion, last we spoke.” 

“My mom insisted.” Herberta replied, drawing a laugh from the pastor.

“I haven’t met anyone who can tell that woman no,” Lyle remarked, “But what brought you here? I heard you were happy up on the East Coast.”

“Told my mom I was seeing someone, she insisted on meeting her.” Herberta explained. Lyle nodded.

“Sounds about right.” he said. “So who’s the gal?”

“Union gal. Has a daughter, Taylor, who’s currently browsing the bookstore’s selection.” Herberta told him. 

“I’m guessing by the fact that she isn’t out here indicates that she’s a church girl?” Lyle asked. Herberta shook her head.

“She wants to get on my mom’s good side. We haven’t been once since we started going out.” she replied.

“Oh well,” Lyle said with mock resignation, “Guess I’m out of luck on that account. Be seein’ you, Herbie.” Herberta nodded as the older man got up and left. A moment later, Taylor exited the bookstore with a paperback tucked under her arm.

“I found something Gilfoyle might like.” she said excitedly.

* * *

On Christmas Day, Herberta was relaxing on the couch with Dani when her cell rang. A glance showed the caller as being from the Indianapolis Protectorate. Answering it as she got up, she heard a man’s voice spell the end to her peaceful vacation.

“Agent Baker, there’s been an incident.”


	93. Interlude 14.a-Ingrid

Ingrid Samygaard woke up on Christmas Eve and sighed as she attached her prosthetic to her shoulder.  _ Hello, degrading robot arm,  _ she thought.  _ Hello, father who’s passed out drunk when he isn’t being abusive,  _ she added, seeing her father passed out in his armchair.  _ Hello, mother who refuses to stand up for me,  _ she added as she entered the kitchen to make herself some breakfast.  _ And hello, stupid siblings who fucking eat everything!  _ she added as she saw that all her breakfast cereal had been eaten. 

“Fine, I’ll get some breakfast on the way,” she said to no one in particular.

* * *

Entering the Sunshine Diner, Ingrid saw that her usual spot was occupied by an older Spanish woman in a suit.

“Hey,” she said as she sat down beside the woman, “Would you mind if we switched seats?” The woman ignored her. “I’ve been having a bad morning, and sitting there, where I usually do would really help me.”

“You’re lying,” the woman said, “You want to switch places because you feel like you own this seat. You’re extremely self-centered, to the point that you don’t care about others. In a few years, you’ll likely be diagnosed as a low-functioning sociopath.” As Ingrid fumed, the woman added, “And if you try to murder me like you’re planning to, you will fail.” The woman then got up and left, leaving Ingrid seething with rage.

* * *

Arriving at the Protectorate headquarters, Ingrid was greeted by the smiling face of Leanne Gulliver, known as the hero Skiptrace. A thirtysomething with blonde hair and a runners build, all talking to her ever did for Ingrid was make her feel fat and out of shape.

“Hi, Ingrid!” Leanne greeted her cheerfully. Ingrid scowled.

“Hello Leanne,” she replied frigidly, then asked, “Has Wally heard back from CPS about a home visit?” Leanne’s smile faded.

“It’s coming… along.” she answered vaguely. Ingrid’s scowl deepened. She’d suspected that Wally was stringing her along, but this confirmed it.

“I see.” she said, turning on her heel and stalking off to her dorm.

* * *

Pacing around her dorm, Ingrid fumed. She hadn’t expected for her teammates to care about her, but it was times like this that she despised the people she worked with. She was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Hey, Ingrid,” came the quiet voice of Millie, one of her fellow Wards. The team’s most recent addition, the Chinese-American teen was rather trusting and naive, which annoyed Ingrid. She thought trigger events were supposed to be traumatic, but apparently Millie had bounced back from hers through a combination of being relentlessly cheerful and being dumb as a sack of bricks.

“What do you want, Millie?” Ingrid asked, annoyed at being bothered.

“I know you have some problems at home,” Millie replied, “And I wanted to say that if you wanted to, my family is happy to have you over for Christmas. We always get take-out and…”

“Millie,” Ingrid interjected irritably, “If I cared how you spent Christmas, I’d put a shotgun in my mouth and pull the trigger with my toes.” There was a long silence.

“You could have just said no.” came Millie’s voice as she walked away.

* * *

Arriving home, Ingrid saw her parents and siblings were gone, likely at church. Heading to her room, she wondered if there was any way to get these stupid people out of her life. She concluded, after considering the issue, that the only way she could escape from here was to kill them all. Which would land her in prison, unless she could find someone else to blame. Suddenly, the beginnings of an idea started to take form.

* * *

As her family slept, Ingrid got to work. She began by harvesting some skin cells from her father's hairbrush and dusting a fist construct with them. Once that was done, taking care of her siblings was a breeze.  _ Consider this payback for all those times you mistreated me,  _ she thought. A couple stabs with a kitchen knife completed the tableau.

She then used some constructs to move her father into the living room while she worked on her mother. A pair of grasping hands around her windpipe later, and the deed was done. Holding the knife in her projected arm, she entered the living room and pulled out her phone and dialed 911.

_ “911, what’s your emergency?”  _ came the voice of the dispatcher.

“Help!” Ingrid said, injecting a note of terror into her voice, “My dad just started stabbing my entire family, and now he’s coming after me!” she then yelped and hung up.  _ That should get them here soon,  _ she thought. Smiling, she went over to her father and slapped him across the face, hard.

“Whazzit?” her father said groggily as he looked around. “How did I get here?” he asked Ingrid.

“Well, you staggered in here after murdering your wife and most of your children,” she replied cheerfully, “Or at least that’s how it looks.” Her father’s face twisted into an expression of horror.

“Why would you do this, Ingrid?” he asked.

“You made me do this.” she told him. “You stifled me and forced me into being who I wasn’t until this was the only option.” She generated several straps that bound him to the armchair, then put the bloody knife in his hands. “There,” she said, “You now have two choices. You can stay and try to prove your innocence, or you can run.” She snapped her fingers and the straps disappeared. Her father leapt up and ran for the door. Ingrid sighed, formed a leaf-shaped blade in her hand and then flicked it right into her father’s back. Forming another, she hurled it into the base of his skull. Hearing approaching police sirens, she took a few steps back and, with a running start, hurled herself at the brick fireplace.

As her vision began to fade to black, she saw police officers enter the house. She smiled as she realized that she’d finally won.


	94. Indianapolis 14.2

**_Herberta_** Sunday, December 25, 2011

“Care to explain what’s interrupting my vacation?” Herberta asked wearily as she got into the car.

“I apologize for the intrusion,” the driver, a thirty something with blond hair and hazel eyes, “It’s just that you’re probably the only PICIS agent in the state right now, and we have a parahuman incident.” He paused, then added, “Forgive me, I should have introduced myself. Wally Morrison, also known as Overwatch of the Indianapolis Protectorate.”

“Nice to meet you, Wally. So why is it that an off-duty agent on vacation is the only PICIS agent in the state?” Herberta asked.

“Perfect storm of vacations, illness and holiday schedules,” Wally replied, “Most of our agents are out of state visiting family and the agent who was supposed to be on duty had to call in sick due to him getting MRSA.”

“I hope he gets better.” Herberta said.

“Me too.” Wally replied.

“So, what’s the case, and why am I needed to be there?” Herberta asked. Wally sighed in a way that indicated the case was already causing him a lot of stress.

“Early this morning, 911 dispatch got a call from the residence of Soren and Greta Samygaard, saying that Soren had murdered his wife and kids. What they didn’t know is that Soren’s oldest daughter, Ingrid, is a member of the Wards, Snowflake. When police arrived, they found both Soren and Ingrid injured and everyone else dead.” Wally explained.

“You aren’t telling me something.” Herberta said.

“Ingrid has insisted her father was abusive. I checked it out and even had CPS look into it. By all accounts, Soren is an average father. He drinks a lot, but seems to be a rather cheerful drunk. When CPS came by, he was candid and asked if they thought he should take a parenting class.” Wally admitted. “Also, our new team psychologist called me a few weeks ago saying that he noticed some sociopathic and narcissistic tendencies in Ingrid. Not enough for a diagnosis, but enough that he was worried.”

“So you’re saying that the case only makes sense if we take the word of a teenager with sociopathic and narcissistic tendencies, and whose same tendencies make her a viable suspect.” Herberta asked, “It’s not a question. I’m just assessing how much of a pain this case will be.”

“It gets better,” Wally told her, “Soren is in a coma. According to Ingrid, he tried to run and she stopped him, but since she was barely concious, she accidentally hit him in the back of the head, causing serious brain damage.”

“Leaving the teenager with sociopathic tendencies as the only witness.” Herberta surmised, “Well, this seems like a case tailor-made to be a clusterfuck.” Wally nodded.

“And that’s not even taking into account that both the sheriff’s office and IMPD are squabbling over jurisdiction.” he added. Herberta sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling the beginings of a migraine coming on.

  
  


Arriving at the crime scene, Herberta noticed that several officers and deputies were sitting out on the lawn in folding chairs.

“What’s with the chairs?” she asked.

“Lead CSI doesn’t want too many people at crime scenes, says it can contaminate evidence. He brings chairs and stuff for the officers to do while he processes the scene. He’ll let lead investigators inside, though.” Wally explained.

Exiting the car, Herberta strode up the driveway, with Wally struggling to keep up. Wally lifted the crime scene tape over the door, allowing Herberta to duck under and step inside. Immediately, she was accosted by a short man with thinning black hair, clad in attire that marked him as a CSI tech.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked, his tone just short of hostile.

“Agent Herberta Baker, PICIS.” Herberta replied, pulling out her badge. The man looked it over and nodded.

“Okay,” he said, his tone softening slightly, “You need to put on gloves and shoe protectors. Don’t sit down. If you need somewhere to sit, I can get you a chair. Don’t move anything.” Herberta nodded as the man walked off.

“I take it that was the lead CSI?” she asked Wally.

“Yep.” he replied.

“Well, Morrison, you finally managed to find a PICIS agent.” came an older drawl, “Now can we get started?” Herberta turned to see a man in his sixties, dressed in jeans and a sheriff’s jacket, with white hair and a similarly colored beard.

“Greg Callahan.” the man said, holding out his hand, “Marion County Sheriff.”

“Nice to meet you,” Herberta replied, shaking his hand. “Herberta Baker, PICIS.” she added.

“Pleasure to work with you, Herberta.” Callahan replied, “I trust Wallace here has briefed you on the complexities of this case?” Herberta nodded.

“Meaning that he’s explained how much of a clusterfuck it is? Yeah, he has.” she replied.

“I dunno, seems pretty open and shut to me.” came another voice from nearby. Herberta turned and saw a fortysomething man in a suit and heavy winter coat. He had light-brown hair and was smiling smugly. “Clearly the Samygaard girl framed her dad for the murders. I can call the DA and we can have charges filed by the end of the day…” he began.

“It’s not clear what happened here,” Herberta interjected, holding up a hand to silence him, “And no one will be firing charges until the investigation is complete.” The unkown man gave her an incredulous look.

“But’s it’s obvious she’s trying to frame her father for murder!” he insisted. Herberta gave him a withering glare.

“Nothing is obvious except that we have four dead people here,” she told him straightening her back so she towered over him, “For all we know, the guy in the hospital isn’t her father and someone else did this.” she paused, then added, “It’s unlikely, but possible.”

“Besides, Harlan,” Wally added acidly, “We all know you have it out for Ingrid.” Herberta frowned.

“Given that unbelievable conflict of interest, I’ve determined that PICIS will be working primarily with the sheriff’s office. I suggest you leave.” Herberta told Harlan, who scowled and headed for the door. “We’ll contact you if we need your assistance.” she added. As the door slammed loudly, Herberta turned to Callahan and Wally.

“Now, where were we?” she asked.

“I believe we were talking about how difficult this case will be to investigate.” Callahan remarked wryly. Wally chuckled. They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. 

“If you guys are ready, I have a preliminary forensic report.” the lead CSI told them. Callahan motioned for him to continue.

“Well, the evidence is a mess, to be frank.” he began, “We did find skin cells matching Soren Samygaard’s DNA on the bruises, but get this, the cells didn’t come from his knuckles. It’s dandruff. Soren’s fingerprints are on the knife, but so are the prints of every other family member, including Ingrid.” 

“What are you saying, Frank?” Callahan asked.

“I called the hospital where both Samygaard’s are being treated and asked the nurse to check Soren for bruising on his knuckles or any scratches on his arms. She said she didn’t find any. I got curious and asked if Ingrid had any bruises consistent with being grabbed and thrown into the fireplace where she was found. Nurse says no, she has bruises consistent with an impact with the fireplace, but if she didn’t know better, she would have said it was self-inflicted. Apparently she also works at the psych unit, and has some experience with self-inflicted wounds. So, I’ve concluded, and while not all of the evidence has been processed and we have some test results that haven’t come back, I feel confident in corroborating Detective Barry’s theory that Miss Samygaard is indeed responsible.” Frank continued.

“Which means we need to get to the hospital before she wakes up.” Herberta said. When Wally and Callahan gave her a confused look, she explained. “If she gets wind that we already found her out, she’s going to run. We know she has sociopathic tendencies, so she is getting out of there or is going to die trying. And we need to figure out why she did this.”

“I’ll put a few deputies at the door.” Callahan said, “Some of them went with the ambulance to the hospital.” He headed out of the house, followed by Herberta and Wally. As they headed for Wally’s car, Herberta pulled out her cell and dialed a number.

“Lisa, I need you to come down to the Protectorate headquarters.” she said. “Bring Taylor.”


	95. Interlude 14.b-Millie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for anti-Asian slur.

The Indianapolis Protectorate headquarters was known for being claustrophobic, but Millie honestly never really got that. Her therapist had said that due to the nature of her trigger event, she might have developed agoraphobia, which meant that she felt safer in enclosed spaces. Millie figured her therapist knew what they were talking about, so she had agreed.

In any case, Millie had always found the idea of being in an underground base exciting. As she headed up to the main entrance, presents for her family tucked under her arm, she silently bid good-bye to the coolest place she’d ever seen.

She then saw someone she hadn’t expected to see today. Ingrid pushed the door open and rushed inside. As Millie got a better look at her, she saw that under the long coat the other girl was wearing, her clothes were covered in blood. Seeing that Ingrid hadn’t noticed her, Millie pulled out her cell and texted Wally.

**_Wally:_ ** _ Hey, Ingrid’s at HQ, and she’s covered in blood. Should i be worried? _

A moment later, she got a reply.

_ Don’t let her leave! She killed her family! _

Millie gasped, which drew Ingrid’s attention.

“Hello, Millie,” she said cheerfully, “I’m just headed to get my suit. Don’t mind me.” Millie nodded as Ingrid rushed off. As soon as Millie made sure the other girl was out of sight, she went to work. She held out her hand in front of her and focused, spraying a freezing energy over the main door. She then settled into one of the combat stances Wally had taught her. A minute later, Ingrid returned, saw her and the door blocked by a wall of ice, and scowled.

“What did you do, you fat yellow bitch?” she shouted. Millie winced. As nice as she tried to be to Ingrid, it still pissed her off when the other girl called her “fat”, just because she was shorter and stockier than most.

“You’re not going anywhere, Ingrid.” she declared. The Scandinavian girl snarled and generated a series of blades in her non-prosthetic hand, which she hurled at Millie. Millie dropped to the ground and sprayed a burst of her power, forming a thin patina of ice across the floor between. Millie got to her feet and hurled a barrage of razor-sharp icicles at the other girl. Ingrid smiled and formed an oval shield of light in front of her, blocking the projectiles, but also obscuring her vision. Millie took the opportunity, rushing forward in a running leap. Ingrid may have called her fat, but her larger mass gave her an extra weapon: herself.

“What the fu-Aghh!” Ingrid shouted as Millie’s one hundred and forty pounds slammed into her. The two girls tumbled to the ground. Millie recovered first, attempting to grab Ingrid’s arms before the other girl could do anything. The Scandinavian girl twisted away and a pillar of solid light slammed into Millie’s chest, pushing her off of Ingrid. Millie dropped to the ground in a crouch and hurled a large icicle at Ingrid. The other girl dodged it as she leapt to her feet, shooting a beam of light at Millie, who rolled to one side and fired her own beam at Ingrid, who blocked it with a wall.

Ingrid jumped and a platform of light formed in midair as she landed on it. She grinned and stepped higher as platforms formed like stairs as she traversed the lobby. She landed behind Millie and smiled as a massive pillar expanded out of thin air, punching through the icy barrier and the door behind it.

“Be seein’ you, Millie.” she said contemptuously, before leaping through the hole she’d made.


	96. Indianapolis 14.3

**_Lisa_** Sunday, December 25, 2011

Arriving at the Indianapolis Protectorate headquarters, Lisa could see that something was wrong. For one thing, there was a massive hole punched through the front. Secondly, there was a woman in a cornflower blue coat running across glowing white platforms on the canal.

“Stop her!” Lisa heard someone shout and drew her pistol, firing at the fleeing figure. The woman dodged and weaved, avoiding the gunfire as she sprinted down the canal.

“You go figure out what’s going on,” Taylor shouted, wings sprouting from the back of her suit as she put on her mask, “I’ll go after her!” She took a few steps back and took a running jump, her wings buzzing and holding her aloft. Lisa nodded and rushed down to the entrance where a stout Chinese-American teenager was standing, hands on her knees and breathing hard.

“I’m not out of shape,” she said, indicating herself, “I’m just tired ‘cause I just fought her.” Lisa nodded.

“I’m Lisa, who are you?” she asked.

“Mei-Lan.” the girl answered, “Most people call me Millie. I’m, uh, Coldsnap, from the Wards.” 

“Alright, Millie, I need you to tell me what happened, starting from the begining.”

**_Taylor_ **

Wind rushing through her hair, Taylor shot through the air, following the woman in the blue coat. She was too far up, and going too fast to use her darts. Pressing her arms to her sides, she shot downward to fly beside the woman, her suit easily keeping pace with her target. She waved to the woman and angled herself to intercept the other woman. Before she could get in front of her, something suddenly slammed into her chest. Unprepared for the sudden change in position, Taylor spun out, slamming into the side of the canal and falling into the water. As she started treading water, Taylor saw the woman step onto the sidewalk beside the canal.

**_Herberta_ **

Herberta rushed out of the elevator, into a scene of absolute carnage. There was blood on the floor and gashes in the wall as the lights flickered.

“Amanda,” Callahan asked a deputy, a twenty something woman with black hair, who had a bandage over a cut running up her arm, “What happened?”

“We positioned ourselves outside the suspect’s room as ordered. The suspect awoke and when Deputy Whedon went to assure her that it was only for her protection, she generated a blade of some sort and stabbed him in the stomach. He’s in surgery. She then proceeded to generate a series of whirling blades and attacked the rest of us. Besides Whedon, the worst of it was some nasty cuts, but we weren’t able to prevent her from leaving.” Amanda explained. She frowned.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it, Deputy,” Callahan assured her. He turned to Wally. “Any idea where she’d go from here?” he asked. Wally shrugged.

“Maybe back to HQ, I don’t know.” Wally admitted. A chime sounded from his phone and he read the message and paled. “She’s at the base, according to Coldsnap.”

“Let’s get over there.” Herberta said as she headed back toward the elevators.

**_Lisa_ **

Lisa saw Taylor walking over, looking somewhat dejected. 

“Didn’t catch her?” she asked sadly. Taylor nodded.

“She knocked me into the canal.” her girlfriend reported glumly. Lisa gave her a pat on the shoulder.

“You’ll get her next time, babe.” she reassured Taylor, who sighed tiredly and went over to sit on a nearby bench. Lisa heard the sound of screeching brakes and saw a car pull into the parking lot. A moment later, Herberta stepped out. She saw Taylor and rushed over.

**_Herberta_ **

“Geez, what happened to you?” Herberta asked Taylor, who was dripping wet.

“I ended up taking an unplanned swim in the canal.” Taylor remarked. Herberta gestured to Wally.

“Any place she can get a warm shower and a change of clothes?” she asked. Wally nodded.

“Millie, could you help her with that?” he asked politely. The Chinese-American girl nodded and gestured to the hole in the main doors. Herberta waited until Wally had reached her before sighing. Lisa ambled over and gave Wally and Callahan a once-over.

“So, any idea why she’s doing this?” Lisa asked. Wally shook his head.

“No clue. All we have is a shrink’s suspicion that Ingrid had sociopathic and narcissistic tendencies and that she didn’t like her father.” he said. “I called in the rest of the team, maybe one of them could help.”

“Well, from the information I’ve picked up, she probably will try to find an ally, someone she can count on to help her, in spite of anything we say.” Lisa reasoned. “Does she have any friends or aquaintances she might go to?” Wally shook his head.

“No idea,” he admitted, “You’d be better off asking Millie or Amina that, they might know.” Lisa nodded and headed inside. Herberta gave the damaged main entrance a look and rubbed her temples with one hand.

“Well, this has turned into a clusterfuck and a half.” she muttered. Wally smiled weakly.

“I’d say it’s a clusterfuck and three-quarters, by my reckoning,” he quipped, drawing a short laugh from Herberta. “Leanne’s here.” he said abruptly as a car pulled into the parking lot behind them. A moment later, a tall blonde woman in a sweater and leggings appeared beside them in a burst of pale blue light, startling Herberta.

“Leanne,” Wally said admonishingly, “Don’t do that. It startles people.” Leanne stuck out her tongue at him, which Wally ignored. “Herberta, this is Leanne Gulliver, otherwise known as the hero Skiptrace.” he told Herberta. Leanne gave a small wave.

“Nice to meet you, Leanne.” Herberta said politely, extending her hand. Leanne shook it and nodded.

“So what’s up?” she asked, a curious look on her face, “Amanda got called into work early this morning, but she wouldn’t say what it was about.” Wally sighed.

“Ingrid murdered her family and tried to pin it on her father.” he said. Leanne shrugged and then nodded.

“Sounds like something she’d do,” she said nonchalantly, “So what’s the plan?”

“One of my associates, a Thinker, is collecting data to see if she can’t figure where Ingrid might be headed next.” Herberta explained. Leanne nodded.

“Good thinking.” she said. “Wally, I’m going to head inside, my ass is freezing.” With that she disappeared in another flash of light and reappeared beside the hole in the door before stepping inside. Herberta noticed a pickup truck and a compact pull into the parking lot. Two people got out and came over. The first was a tall and stocky Hispanic man in a red winter coat and a pair of jeans, but the most interesting thing about his attire was the pair of cowboy boots he wore. The other wore a slightly oversized Colts jersey over a turtleneck and a pair of somewhat baggy slacks. He had a goatee and a set of well-maintained dreadlocks pulled back and tied together with a scruchie. He gave Herberta an appraising glance that she recognized as a fellow Tinker looking to see what tech she’d brought. Herberta gave him a small smile and tapped the frame of her glasses, drawing a smile of recognition from the man.

“These are Guillermo and Gary,” Wally told her, “AKA Serpentine and Switchback.” Herberta nodded and held out her hand. Gary shook it. 

“Pleasure to be working with you,” he said, “But I have to ask what’s the occasion?”

“I was wondering that, too.” Guillermo asked.

“Ingrid murdered her family and is on the run.” Wally supplied.

“That sounds like Ingrid.” Guillermo remarked. Gary nodded.

“Why don’t we continue this inside,” he said, “Where my testicles won’t freeze to the sides of my legs.” Herberta gave Wally a confused look, but was met with a shrug.


	97. Indianapolis 14.4

**_Herberta_** Sunday, December 25, 2011

Entering the building, Herberta strode through the lobby. “Where would the briefing room be here?” she asked. 

“Room 1-A-12.” Wally replied, using the standard room designation system all PRT bases used. Herberta nodded. First floor, wing A, room twelve. Herberta headed for the elevator, calling out behind her, “Find everyone and meet me there in ten minutes.”

* * *

As everyone gathered in the briefing room, Herberta walked over to the whiteboard she’d set up and asked, “Alright, what do we know about Ingrid?”

“She triggered a year and a half ago,” Wally offered, “And has refused to discuss it with anyone other than her therapist.”

“Who was that?” Herberta asked, “Maybe we can call them and see if we can get some insight into why she might be doing this.” Wally sighed.

“Guy named Leland Townshend,” he told her, “But he might be hard to reach, he has a private practice in Connecticut, and he refuses to talk to the PRT ever since he quit.”Herberta scowled.

“Crap,” she said, “That sucks. Millie, can you think of anyone Ingrid might have considered a friend?” The Chinese-American thought for a moment and made a face.

“She mentioned someone named Erika a lot, but I don’t have a last name. Amina might know.” she said.

“Speaking of which,” Herberta said, “Where is Horus?” At that moment, the doorto the briefing room opened and a Middle-Eastern woman in slacks and a polo shirt entered.

“Amina Jenkins, reporting for duty.” she said, then stood at attention and saluted Wally. The older Thinker nodded and Amina took a seat.

“Amina, do you have any idea who a friend or acquaintance of Ingrid’s named Erika might be?” Herberta asked. Amina nodded.

“Ma’am, Erika Bloomqvist is Ingrid’s closest friend. They have several classes in school together, ma’am.” she said, in the same tone as a recruit during basic training. Herberta nodded to Lisa, who opened a laptop and began typing.

Herberta turned to the whiteboard and wrote down Townshend’s name and added “Therapist” beside it. 

“Someone should leave a message for Townshend, telling him what happened and that he needs to work with us,” she told the assembled capes, “In the meantime, Lisa, Millie, Amina and Taylor will work on trying to find Erika. The rest of us will coordinate with the sheriff’s office to start on a search. Alright, you all have your jobs, let’s get to work.”

**_Lisa_ **

Sitting in the Wards common room, Lisa swallowed another aspirin.

“Lisa, are you doing okay?” Taylor asked, a concerned look on her face. Amina looked over at her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Lisa sighed.

“Thinker headaches.” she explained. Amina nodded.

“Copy that,” she said, getting up and heading over to the thermostat on the wall, “Mr. Morrison gets them sometimes and we have some measures in place to ease the pain.” She tapped a few buttons on the console and the lights suddenly seemed less harsh and glaring to Lisa.

“Thanks.” she said. Amina nodded.

“Glad I could help,” she said, “Now what is our plan for finding Erika?” Lisa smiled.

“Well, I’m guessing that, like most teenagers, Erika is active on social media.” she explained, “So I’ve been trawling through Facebook, Twitter, and PHO to try and find any posts by her or mentioning her, but it’s slow going, and my power keeps flaring up with all this information I’m learning.” Amina nodded and came over, gesturing for Lisa to get up.

“I can take over for a bit, you should get some rest.” the Middle-Eastern girl told her. Lisa nodded and got up, heading over to the couch. Taylor gave her a look, her expression asking if Lisa needed company, and Lisa shook her head. Taylor nodded and mouthed “love you” at her, drawing a smile form the Thinker.

**_Herberta_ **

“So,” Herberta began as she and the rest of the Indianapolis Protectorate piled into her rental van and began driving to the sheriff’s office, “Why are you guys not surprised by Ingrid’s actions?” 

“Well,” Guillermo began, “There’s been a couple incidents in the past where she’s displayed a worrying disregard for civilian life. There’s also the stuff with her father.” He sighed. “Simply put,” he said, “We didn’t trust her.” 

“I sent a memo making sure she was always accompanied by someone on patrols.” Wally added. “But, despite several seminars about it, the problem never really went away.”

“So, she has no problem endangering civilians and doesn’t care if she shears a building in half.” Herberta surmised. “Well, that’s fucking great.” she muttered.

“It’s not ideal.” Wally admitted. As they pulled into the parking lot of the county jail, Herberta smoothly exited the van and strode into the building.

* * *

Inside, Herberta saw various deputies carrying in various cases and removing several Tinkertech weapons from them.

“Wow, Callahan,” Herberta remarked, “You aren’t fucking around.” The sheriff smiled.

“Yep, we’re loaded for parahuman.” he remarked, “We have plasma and laser weapons as well as specialized rounds.”

“Good call,” Herberta admitted. Callahan nodded.

“We’re here to brief you and coordinate on the manhunt for Ingrid.” Herberta told him. Callahan nodded and whistled loudly. The deputies stopped and looked over at their boss.

“Alright, listen up, people!” Callahan said, “These nice people from the Protectorate are here to brief us on who we’re pursuing. If everybody would just head over to the conference room, we can get started.

  
  


“Ingrid Samygaard, AKA Snowflake.” Herberta began, displaying a picture of the hero-turned-fugitive on the screen beside her. “She’s a Shaker whose power allows her to create constructed shapes of hard light. She additionally has a minor Thinker power that allows her to create completely random patterns.” She gestured to Wally who nodded and adressedthe group.

“Now, what this means is that any attempt to find a pattern in her attacks or how she defends herself is doomed to failure.” he said, “So if you have a shot, take it.” One of the deputies raised his hand.

“So I take it we can’t just cover likely exits when entering a building?” he asked. Wally nodded.

“You will have to cover all exits. Ingrid’s unpredictability is her biggest strength, and also what makes her so dangerous.” he said. Callahan nodded and stepped to the front of the gathered deputies.

“Okay people, our rules of engagement are that we want her brought in alive if at all possible. Non-lethal options and you shoot to wound, not kill. Obviously, if it’s you or her, choose yourself, but only as a last resort. We need to get her in custody. We’re airing a request for tips tonight, and we’ll pass those along to you as we get them. Split into pairs and we’ll divide up areas to search.” As the deputies got up and started pairing up, Callahan turned to the capes.

“You guys should get prepped, ready to respond when we find her. Frankly, you have the best odds of bringing her in.” he said. Herberta nodded.

“Alright, let’s head back to base and suit up,” she said, “And we can see if Lisa and the others have anything.”


	98. Indianapolis 14.5

**_Herberta_** Wednesday, December 28, 2011

“Three days,” Herberta mused, “And we’ve got nothing.” she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“It’s not your fault, Herbie.” Meredith Brody, Indianapolis PICIS director, replied. Meredith had returned two days earlier and had taken over as lead on the Samygaard case, putting Herberta in the position of lead field agent. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” 

“But we’re nowhere on this, and we have a superpowered sociopath prowling the streets.” Herberta protested. Meredith smiled.

“Agent Baker, go home. I can handle things.” she said. “Go spend some time with your girlfriend and kids.” Herberta sighed and nodded. She stood and went to get her coat.

As she reached the lobby, she saw a woman in a state trooper’s uniform who waved to get Herberta’s attention when she saw her.

“Yes?” Herberta said. The woman smiled awkwardly.

“I’m State Trooper Dempsey.” she introduced herself and continued. “I have a case I’d like to request PICIS’s help on.” Herberta paused on her way to the door.

“What sort of case?” she asked, her curiosity piqued. Dempsey made a face.

“It’d probably be easier just to show you,” the blonde explained, “It’s wierd.”

* * *

After an hour spent driving out to a gas station in the middle of nowhere, Herberta entered the station and found two dead bodies laying on the floor with massive gunshot wounds in their heads. 

“Looks like your garden-variety random killing, what would be of interest to PICIS here?” she asked Dempsey.

“According to the witness, the victims were robbers who were holding up the store, but were killed by a mute woman who bounced a single bullet through both their heads.” the state tropper replied. Herberta pursed her lips.

“Let me make a call.” she said, heading outside and dialing a number.

_ “Hello, this is the phone of Kensi Blye, who is this?”  _ came the voice of a man with a California drawl.

“I’m Agent Herberta Baker from PICIS, I’d like to speak to Kensi.” Herberta told him.

_ “Got it.”  _ the man said,  _ “Please hold.”  _ Herberta heard footsteps and indistinct conversations before Kensi’s throaty voice came over the line.

_ “Hey Herbie,”  _ she said,  _ “Sorry about Deeks. He’s a nosy police detective and a light sleeper. So what are you calling me?”  _ she asked.

“I had a question for you.” Herberta asked her fellow PICIS agent, “If you were going to bounce a bullet off the floor and a shelf and through two people’s heads, what would you need?” Herberta heard the other woman hem and haw over the phone.

_ “I’d need for them to stay still for thirty minutes, a graphing calculator and bunch of scrap paper.”  _ Kensi finally replied,  _ “Why?”  _

“Just confirming a hunch.” Herberta explained before hanging up and rejoining Dempsey. “You were right,” she told the state trooper, “No one could naturally do what the witness said.”

“So what does that mean?” Dempsey asked.

“It means I have to call my boss.” Herberta said as she dialed another number. “Hey, Mer?” she asked.

_ “Never mind that,”  _ Meredith said, her voice tense,  _ “Samygaard made contact. She wants to meet, with you.”  _

“Why me?” Herberta asked.

_ “No fucking clue,”  _ Meredith replied,  _ “But she insisted on meeting with you and Weaver. Said it was non-negotiable.” _

“Well,” Herberta said, “Fuck.”

  
  


* * *

After assuring Trooper Dempsey that she wasn’t being blown off, Herberta returned to the Indianapolis PHQ, where Meredith was waiting for her in the lobby.

“So,” Herberta began, “What’s the plan?”

“We’re going to give you and Weaver a panic button and have the team on standby if it all goes to hell.” Meredith replied.

“Sounds good.” Herberta told her fellow PICIS director as she headed to the the base’s break room.

**_Taylor_** Thursday, December 29, 2011

Taylor sat at a table at the Central Library’s coffee shop as she sipped a latte and watched people milled about the library’s main concourse.

“Don’t see anything unusual.” she said into her earpiece.

_ “Same here,”  _ Herbie replied from her spot from one of the reading nooks on the other side of the room,  _ “But stay sharp, we don’t want to get blindsided.”  _

“Roger that.” Taylor replied as she continued to sweep her vision around the concourse. She suddenly saw Ingrid, wearing the blue coat she’d agreed to wear so they could recognize her, striding through the library. The Scandinavian-American teenager headed over to where Herbie was seated. Taylor looked back at a young woman with a scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, who she’d seen circling the area before.

“Be advised, Artificer,” she said into her earpiece, “A woman wearing a scarf just passed around again. Average height, brown hair, blue eyes.” Taylor saw Herbie nod as Ingrid reached the reading nook.

_ “Good to see you again, Ingrid,”  _ came Herbie’s voice over the mike,  _ “I was told you wanted to speak to us?” _

_ “I did.”  _ the teenager replied coolly,  _ “I wanted to let you know that I’m only meeting with you because I was advised to.” _

_ “By whom?”  _ Herbie asked.

_ “I’d rather not say,”  _ Ingrid answered with a smug smile,  _ “But I’m only here to do one thing.” _

_ “What’s that?”  _ Herbie asked, nervousness creeping into her voice.

_ “To kill you.”  _ Ingrid answered as she drew a silenced pistol and shot Herbie in the chest. The Tinker didn’t react and opened her coat to reveal her suit on underneath. Herbie gave Ingrid a smug smile.

_ “I kinda figured you’d do that, Ingrid.”  _ she said, grabbing the barrel and yanking the pistol from Ingrid’s grasp as her suit’s helmet formed around her head.  _ “Now tell me who wanted me dead.” _

  
_ “I did.”  _ came a strangely feminine voice from behind Herbie. Taylor saw it had come from what appeared to be a man wearing a pair of sunglasses and a pantsuit that she could tell had been designed for a woman. Taylor felt a momentary flash of sympathy for the man’s genitals that evaporated when she remembered that he wanted Herbie dead. The man snapped his fingers, and everyone stopped and filed out the exit, leaving Taylor, Herbie and Ingrid alone with the mysterious stranger.


	99. Indianapolis 14.6

**_Herberta_** Thursday, December 29, 2011

“And who the hell are you?” Herberta asked as she spun around, Ingrid’s pistol pointed at the androgynous newcomer who had just said they’d wanted her dead.

“Call me Simon,” the apparently-a-man said smugly, “I represent a group you seem to have become a thorn in the side of.”

“Cauldron.” Herberta guessed. Simon nodded with a grin.

“Bingo.” he said, “And I’d put the gun down if I were you. I’ve instructed everyone who just left that if they find out I’m dead, they should kill themselves.”

_ Master-Stranger,  _ Herberta covertly signaled to Taylor, who nodded. She sighed and tossed Ingrid’s pistol to the ground in front of Simon, who picked it up.

“Since this incident clearly has ended in a stalemate, I suggest we exercise the better part of valor, Ingrid.” he said, backing towards the main entrance, gun trained on Herberta. Suddenly, a wave of red liquid, that Herberta realized was blood, crashed in front of the doors. Herberta turned and saw a young woman with brown hair and eyes obscured by a pair of sunglasses, wearing a puffy jacket and a scarf. 

“Hold it right there.” she said confidently.  _ “That’s the woman I mentioned.”  _ Taylor said to Herberta over the comm. Herberta switched on her helmet’s analysis systems to see if she could figure out who this was.

_ Abigail Hobbs, codename Shrike,  _ said the text scrolling in front of her,  _ Member of the Mineapolis Protectorate. Regenerator Brute and hemokinetic Blaster/Shaker, capable of altering the physical and chemical properties of her blood. _

_ Well, that explains the wall of blood,  _ Herberta thought, activating the panic beacon that would signal the Indy Protectorate to come in guns blazing. Simon looked nervous now, as he aimed the pistol at Abigail.

“Don’t move.” he said, a tiny quaver in his voice. Abigail shrugged and stepped forward.

Simon opened fire, shooting at the petite woman until the gun clicked empty. Abigail jerked as the bullets struck her, but continued walking forward. When the gunshots stopped, she paused and smiled wolfishly.

“Big mistake.” she said, as blood began to run from her wounds and form into plates of armor and a pair of crimson wings. She leapt forward, the wall of blood collapsing and forming into chains that wrapped around Simon, holding him in place. Abigail formed a blade from the blood and thrust the tip up against his throat.

“I wouldn’t do that,” the Master-Stranger said smugly, “If you kill me, everyone who evacuated, will die.” Abigail scowled, then removed the blade.

“Fine,” she said through gritted teeth as Herberta walked over, “But you’re under arr-argh!” she shouted as she fell over. The chains fell away, turning back to regular blood. Herberta saw the glowing pale-blue blade in her back and realized no one had been keeping track of Ingrid. Looking around, she saw the girl sprinting toward one of the massive windows that overlooked the street. She formed a blade and hurled it at the window, cracking it. A moment later, she jumped through the window, shattering it as she landed in a heap on the sidewalk. 

Herberta saw Taylor rushing over to Abigail as Simon waved smugly at them and slipped out the door. She then heard the sounds of Tinkertech weapons being fired and rushed over to the broken window and leapt down, landing in a crouch. Getting to her feet, she drew her pistol and rounded the corner, where she saw the Indy Protectorate in pitched battle with Ingrid and a literally shadowy figure. As the shadows around the figure collaseced, Herberta saw that it was a man in full combat gear wearing a hood and a mask shaped like a cross between an owl’s face and a skull. He was carrying two sawed-off shotguns, whose bullets left smoking trails and exploded in bursts of black fire. 

Herberta fired off a pair of shots at the figure, who dissolved into mist that rushed toward Serpentine. Reforming in front of the archer, the figure smacked the side of Serpentine’s head with his shotgun, knocking the Blaster out cold. Skiptrace suddenly appeared behind him and fired a spray of blue bolts at the figure, who turned and fired a shotgun blast at the hero. Skiptrace teleported away as Overwatch brought his massive Tinkertech rifle to bear. The combat Thinker fired off a rocket that streaked towards the figure, exploding when it reached him. Overwatch ran over and, as the smoke cleared, slammed into the figure, tackling him to the ground. Herberta ducked as a hard light blade flew past her head. Following its path, she saw Ingrid running towards a parking lot, pursued by Coldsnap. Herberta sprinted after the two, taking a running leap and shot through the air to land on one of the cars. 

Herberta hopped down in front of Ingrid, her wrist blasters aimed at the teenager as Coldsnap closed in from behind.

“Nowhere to run, Ingrid.” Herberta said, the apretures of her blasters glowing as they charged. Ingrid snarled and hurled a blade at her. Herberta dodged and fired, her lasers slamming into Ingrid and knocking her off her feet. Coldsnap fired beams of icy energy in an attempt to restrain the former hero, but Ingrid rolled to one side and hurled a boomerang that knocked Coldsnap’s legs out from under her. She got to her feet and mockingly saluted Herberta before hurling what looked like a curling stone of hard light at Herberta’s chest and throwing up a barrier of whirling hard light blades between them. By the time Herberta had gotten to her feet and cleared the wall, Ingrid was nowhere to be found.

Returning to the steps of the library, Herberta found the rest of the Protectorate team, along with Taylor standing amidst a massive throng of police cars, ambulances and PRT vans. Civilians were being checked and the scene was being cordoned off by police. Herberta jogged over and saw Overwatch, Skiptrace and Taylor standing beside Abigail, Overwatch with an annoyed expression.

“You have some explaining to do,” Herberta told the Minesotan as she approached the group, “Like why the hell you interferred in an ongoing PICIS operation.” The young woman gave Herberta an annoyed look.

“I wasn’t aware this was a PICIS op, I was following a tip on a Master-Stranger wanted for two murders up in St. Cloud.” she said archly, extending a hand out to Herberta, “I’m Abigail Hobbs, PRT.” Herberta shook her hand with a curt nod.

“I know who you are, Miss Hobbs.” Herberta said, “But I’m more interested in that you knew who this Simon guy was.” Abigail quirked her head to one side.

“Simon?” she asked, confused, “He gave his name as Jeffery Munson.” 

“Huh,” Herberta said, “That’s interesting. But it still doesn’t excuse you barging in on our sting.” Suddenly, her phone rang. Putting it to her ear, she heard Meredith speaking.

_ “Herbie,  _ she said, _ I just got a heads-up from the Minneapolis office saying that a Protectorate member was in the area, pursuing a parahuman fugitive. Shrike, I think her name was. The tip they got said the fugitive was going to be at the library at the same time as your meet. I hope I didn’t interrupt the meet.”  _

“You… didn’t.” Herberta said awkwardly. God, she hated dealing with supervisors, which had figured into her decision to work at PICIS. She thanked Meredith and hung up, then turned to face Abigail.

“Your story checks out,” she told the younger woman before turning to Overwatch. 

“Who was the guy with the shotguns?” she asked. Overwatch sighed and pinched the bridge of his mask.

“Barn Owl.” he explained, “A parahuman mercenary, who’s part of the same cluster as Skiptrace.” 

“Kiss or kill?” Herberta asked, glancing over at the young woman.

“We’ve managed to find a happy medium between the two.” Skiptrace answered.

“So it’s likely Simon just hired him.” Herberta surmised. Skiptrace nodded.

“Revenge isn’t a motive here.” she agreed. Herberta nodded and clapped her hands together.

“Well, since it looks like our targets are working together,” she said, looking over at Abigail, “How does a team-up sound?”

**Author's Note:**

> Here are some general notes that inform the story, but aren't going to come up in-story.
> 
> -Eidolon died in 2004 during a battle with the Simurgh, which also led to the Simurgh dying as well.
> 
> -Behemoth and Leviathan have been steadily weakening as a result.
> 
> \- The shards have more of a drive towards unusual uses of powers than straight-up conflict. (For example, Amy's shard would be intrigued by her using her power to calm others without manipulating their brains)
> 
> Remember to kudos, comment and subscribe!
> 
> We're now on TvTropes! Here's the link https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/WormArtifice. If you're a troper who's interested, add tropes.


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